Why Dance When You Can Slay The Dragon?
by Beautiful T Jakson
Summary: It was all so simple. One date was unavailable, so he asked another. Little did Harry Potter realize that a simple change of Yule Ball plans would change his life as he knew it. Started as Yule Ball fic, but hardly classifies anymore. HHr. Now Complete!
1. EP 1: Chapter 1

I know I've written a Yule Ball fic already, but I felt like writing another "what if?". What if Harry had asked Hermione before Viktor had managed to? This is my story of Harry asking Hermione to the ball and their interactions leading up to it. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the situations, items, persons, or vegetarian seafood platters mentioned in this story. If I did, I would rewrite pretty much everything.

* * *

_Episode One_

_Chapter One_

_I never even went to a school dance, and now I have to open a ball?_

Harry tried as hard as he could to convince himself he wasn't a stalker.

It wasn't like he was watching her while she was sleeping or showering (he felt his face heat up at the latter prospect); he was simply waiting for Cho to have a moment alone so he could ask her to the ball without having to endure the mindless giggling of her little cadre of friends. A simple request, really.

Apparently, no one told Cho how simple it was supposed to be.

When she wasn't surrounded by no less than seven girls (honestly, it cannot be easy to move around like that), Cho was always accompanied by a curly-haired redhead whose name he later found out was Marietta Edgecombe. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but from observed conversations (he wasn't a stalker, really), Marietta seemed to be a rather unkind girl, and he was nervous enough without having to worry about a verbal beating.

Leaning against a blank stretch of wall in a fifth floor corridor, Harry watched from under his invisibility cloak as Cho and Marietta strolled amongst the students, apparently on a walk just to stretch their legs. They chatted about various girl things (Harry couldn't make himself interested) as Harry followed at a safe distance. His plan was to wait until Marietta found some reason to be anywhere else and then covertly remove the cloak and stroll up to Cho. It wasn't the most concrete of plans, but Harry was a fourteen-year-old boy in love.

"Terry Boot asked me to the ball yesterday," Marietta was saying as they walked. Cho smiled at her friend, and Harry's heard fluttered; she had such a pretty smile.

"What did you tell him?" she asked as Harry stumbled over a student's book bag, narrowly avoiding detection. _Watch your path_, he told himself, _not Cho_.

"Yes, of course," Marietta said with a giggle. "He's not bad looking. Maybe I'll lure him under the mistletoe…."

"I'm sure you wouldn't have to lure him," Cho said, laughing at the devious note in her friend's voice, as though she were plotting some grand scheme. "I don't even think you'd need mistletoe. You could probably go kiss him right now."

_Yeah!_ Harry silently agreed. _Go kiss him! Leave!_

As Marietta silently pondered the ramifications of jumping one of her fellow housemates out of the blue, Harry heard hurried footsteps behind him. He turned and had to jump out of the way as Cedric Diggory nearly collided with him, apparently in a haste to get somewhere. Harry's heart stopped when he walked up behind Cho.

"Cho?"

The Ravenclaw turned and smiled when she saw him. "Oh, hello, Cedric. How are you?"

"Great," Cedric smiled, shifting slightly, nervously, and Harry wanted to do something, stun him, cast an Imperius curse and tell him to walk away, petrify him, anything. He felt himself frozen in place, watching the proverbial train wreck. "Um, Cho, would you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Cho's face turned pleasantly pink, and she gasped. "Oh…of course, Cedric! I'd love to go the ball with you."

"Great!" Cedric grinned and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Harry found himself deeply wishing he'd decided not to get out of bed this morning. "I guess I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall?"

"Sounds great," Cho said, now turning slightly red. Why couldn't Harry make her blush like that? Why could he not even bring himself to _talk_ to her?

"Thanks, Cho!" Cedric called as he turned and walked away, pumping his fist in triumph. Cho giggled, then turned to Marietta, who had a look of shock on her face. They both broke out into joyful squeals, taking off down the hallway and leaving a still invisible Harry leaning against the wall, staring through his invisible shoes.

Gryffindors were supposed to have the courage, not Hufflepuffs.

……

"What's the matter, Harry?"

Harry only shook his head as flopped down on the couch next to Hermione, who was reading an Herbology book. She marked her spot and closed it, looking at him in concern.

"Is it your scar?"

Harry shook his head again; his scar had been pleasantly pain-free for the past few days. He felt a hand on his jaw, and he was slowly turned to face Hermione's chocolate brown eyes, which were full of worry.

"Harry." The stern inflection on his name crumbled his resolve.

"Cedric asked Cho to the dance."

Hermione dropped her hand and smiled slightly. "Harry, you had me worried that it was something serious."

"This _is_ serious," Harry said. "Here was my chance, and I missed it. Now she's going with Cedric Diggory, pretty-boy extraordinaire. How do I compete with that?"

"Harry you're more handsome than you give yourself credit for," Hermione smiled, patting him on the arm. "Besides, there are plenty of other girls who would love to go with you. What about Ginny?"

"Ron's sister?" Harry asked, then shook his head. "I don't really know her. Besides, I don't want a girl who just wants to go with Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived."

"I'm sorry to say it, but that's almost every girl in school," Hermione laughed. "But if not Ginny, who?"

Harry tried to think of a girl he knew reasonably well, who wouldn't want to go just because he was famous. Ginny was obviously out, as were Parvati and Lavender (only because he didn't really know them all that well). All of the girls on the Quidditch team were taken. That left….

"I don't really know a lot of girls," he finally muttered, turning to see Hermione back to reading her book, giving him time to think. As soon as his eyes rested on her, something struck him. Long hair, a shapely (slightly slender) figure, and a keen understanding of the way girls' minds work…. Wait a second….

"Hermione, _you're_ a girl!" he practically shouted, and she looked up at him, eyes widened in alarm. "Will you go to the ball with me?"

Her face turned pink, and Harry had to marvel at how cute it was. "Oh!" she stammered, caught off guard. "…Well…. I'd love to, Harry. Yes, I'll go to the ball with you," she finally smiled. "But…are you sure you wouldn't want to go with someone…better looking?"

Harry furrowed his brow, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm somewhat plain," Hermione gestured at herself. "There are plenty of more attractive girls out there."

Harry shook his head. "They're attractive, yes. But so are you, just as much as any other girl. More so than a lot of them. Why wouldn't you think so?"

Hermione smiled and pulled him into a hug, giving him a kiss on the cheek as she drew away.

"Thank you, Harry. That's sweet," she whispered, going back to her book, though she now tucked her legs under her and leaned against Harry. Harry, for his part, tried to make some headway on his Potions essay, though he couldn't seem to forget the feeling of Hermione's lips on his cheek.

……

The next couple of weeks saw a distinct change in Hermione's actions. She was noticeably more affectionate with Harry, frequently squeezing his hand when he did something worth praising, and taking his arm when they walked between classes. This was especially apparent in the common room, where she would fondly ruffle his hair when he couldn't come up with an answer to a question, and even rest her head on his shoulder while they would read from the same textbook.

It took Harry twice as long as usual to complete his Transfiguration reading assignment.

None of this was lost on Ron, who watched the pair with increasing suspicion, Harry noted. He kept his mouth shut, however, probably not wanting to ruin his newly repaired relationship with his best friend. Harry himself chalked Hermione's behavior up to happiness at having a date to the ball.

"Hey, Harry?" Hermione hedged one night as they sat around the common room fire, their homework finally finished. Hermione was in her position from a few nights ago, leaning against him while she read her book (a new one, he noted).

"Hm?" Harry was reading last month's issue of _Quidditch Weekly_, which someone had left on a table.

"Do you know how to dance?" she asked, looking up at him. Harry colored, setting his magazine down.

"Well…not really," he admitted, staring at the fire. "The Dursleys never really bothered to teach me."

"And you have to open the ball, no less," Hermione smiled at him. "Would you like me to teach you?"

Harry pondered this. Hermione teach him to dance? Well, it would be nice not to make a fool of himself in front of three schools…and Cho. He might even be able to impress her with his dancing abilities and sweep her away from Cedric.

"Sure," he agreed. Hermione smiled wider, squeezing his hand.

"Great," she said. "Are you free tomorrow night?"

"I'm free pretty much all the time, Hermione," Harry grinned. Hermione giggled.

"Then we'll find a place to practice after dinner, Freedom Boy," she teased, and Harry nudged her playfully with his elbow. She in turn tapped him lightly on the head, taking the opportunity to run her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes, finding that he rather liked the sensation.

"You have soft hair," she mused, looking thoughtfully at him. Her fingers did another run, and Harry leaned into her touch. She laughed softly. "You're worse than Crookshanks." She moved to the far side of the couch. "Come here, then. Lie down."

"You mean…on your lap?" When she nodded, he felt his face flush. "But…Hermione, I…." He trailed off when she ran her fingers once more through his hair. The feel was absolutely intoxicating.

"You deserve to relax once in a while," she whispered, succeeding in maneuvering him so that he was lying on the couch, his head resting on her lap. She resumed running her fingers through Harry's hair, and he was lost in the feeling of her fingernails gently running over his scalp. He stared up at her face as she peered at the fire, a slight smile playing at her lips. As he studied her, he noticed a slight change.

"Did you do something with your hair?" he asked, reaching up and toying with a lock of her hair. She pinked and nodded.

"Yes," she said. "Parvati recommended a conditioner that can supposedly tame any kind of hair. Does it look good?"

"It looks great," Harry said. Hermione's once bushy hair now hung in loosely down to her shoulders. It was still curly, but not "a bushy mess" as she had called it once. It was a definite improvement. "It suits you."

"Thank you, Harry – " Hermione stopped and looked up as a commotion sounded near the portrait hole. Harry sat up slightly, able to see a familiar head of vivid red hair as it made its way across the common room. Ron flopped into an armchair near the pair, followed closely by Ginny, who surveyed Harry and Hermione curiously, though made no comment, then Dean and Seamus. Several students looked up to see what the fuss was about.

"Ron, what happened?" Hermione asked as Harry scooted to sit next to her in order to avoid any questions from his two dorm mates.

"I…she…" Ron didn't seem capable of speech at the moment. Taking pity, Ginny spoke for him.

"He asked Fleur Delacour to the ball."

Hermione's eyes widened, and Harry had to choke back a laugh.

"Well, what did she say?" he asked instead. Hermione looked at him as though he were mad.

"She said no, of course," she answered, but Ron shook his head. Hermione looked at him, now raising her eyebrows. "Did…she say yes?"

Ron shook his head again. "She just…looked at me. Like I was some sort of…bug. Didn't even say anything."

"Well, you did sort of shout it at her," Ginny observed, and Harry couldn't stop a slight chuckle. Hermione swatted him lightly on the arm.

"You shouted at her?" Harry asked, and Dean and Seamus laughed.

"It was bloody hilarious," Seamus said. He put on a deep voice that sounded remarkably like Ron. "'Will go ball with me!?' You sounded like a troll."

"Oh, be nice to him," Hermione said, though she couldn't stop a slight smile. "Ron doesn't exactly have a way with women."

The two boys stood and left (claiming that they were off to find Fleur and see if she'd reconsidered), and Ginny took the seat next to Ron's. Harry wanted to lie back in Hermione's lap, but he wasn't sure how to approach the issue.

"This is terrible," Ron said. "If I don't get a date soon, all the good ones will be taken."

"Good ones?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "I mean, I'd rather go alone than with…Eloise Midgen, you know?"

Harry inwardly cringed. Weeks spent alone with Hermione had given him a keen ability to spot when Ron was putting his foot in his mouth.

"So you'll take whatever girl you can get, as long as she's good-looking?"

Yep, she was mad. Harry placed a hand on her arm, and she spared him a glance and nod; her wand would stay in her pocket, at least.

"Well, when you say it like that – " Ron cut himself off as he spoke to Hermione, his eyes widening slightly. Harry knew that look; he'd had the same look on his face when he'd asked Hermione to the ball. Sure enough:

"Hermione, why don't _you_ go to the ball with me? You're probably still looking for a date."

_Open mouth, insert foot_, Harry thought to himself as Hermione stood up angrily. _And there goes my lap pillow._

"I don't know why you would think I'm still looking for a date, unless you find me _repulsive_ for some reason," she said furiously. "If that's the case, then I obviously don't live up to your ridiculously high standards. As for your question, _no_. Harry asked me the day they announced it."

Ron looked at Harry in shock, and Harry shrugged. "And…she said yes ," he added unnecessarily. Hermione turned and stormed from the common room. Harry stood and ran after her, catching her up before she had made it ten feet down the corridor.

"Hermione, wait!" he called, grabbing her arm to stop her from escaping. She stopped but didn't face him. "Hermione – "

"Harry, was I just a last resort?" Hermione asked, and Harry was taken aback for a moment.

"What?" He tugged her around, and she gazed up at him, her face a mixture of fear and anger.

"Did you ask me to the ball as a last resort, because you couldn't find any other dates?" Hermione's eyes were shining now, and Harry couldn't help but notice that they were attracting attention. Several students had stopped to observe what looked like a fight between the two, and some were whispering to each other. Harry distinctly caught the words "lovers' spat".

"Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading her away, down a deserted hallway. He pushed aside a tapestry that revealed a hidden corridor dimly light by torches in brackets, tugging her to near the midpoint. When he felt that they were sufficiently hidden, he turned to Hermione and inwardly groaned; she was crying now. Not knowing what to do, he pulled her into a hug. He'd been told once (by Hermione, ironically enough) that crying girls usually just needed a hug.

"Hermione, you would never be a last resort for me," he said. "I won't lie, I went to Cho first, but I went straight to you when she was unavailable." He took a moment to consider his words. "That sounded bad, didn't it?"

He felt Hermione chuckle weakly against his chest, and she looked up at him, smiling. "No, Harry, I know what you were trying to say. Thank you."

"You're not a last ditch effort, Hermione," Harry said again, running his fingers through a lock of her hair. "And I'll murder anyone who tries to do that to you."

"Even Ron," her smile turned into a grin, and Harry returned it.

"We just need to establish an alibi."

Hermione laughed, hugging him again and giving him a lingering kiss on the cheek. As she drew away, she met his eyes, reaching a hand up to toy with his hair.

"Thank you, Harry," she said softly. "You really helped cheer me up." She laughed. "You're pretty good with crying girls."

"Well, you told me that most crying girls just need a hug," Harry said. "I was happy to oblige."

She laughed and hugged him again, taking his hand and leading them out back toward the corridor. She checked her watch as they walked.

"An hour until curfew," she observed, looking up at Harry. "Do you mind if we just walk around for a little while? I don't feel like facing Ron right now."

"Sure," Harry said, and Hermione laced her fingers with his, dragging him in the opposite direction of the common room. Harry glanced at their entwined hands but said nothing. He had never held hands with a girl before (except for the occasional library trip in primary school, but that hardly counted), but he found that he rather liked it with Hermione. Her hand seemed to fit perfectly in his, and she would occasionally run her thumb over his hand before giving it a squeeze.

As they walked, Hermione moved Harry's hand so that it was right in front of her face, peering at it calculatingly. Harry chuckled at the curious expression on her face.

"It's my hand, Hermione," he said with a grin. "I have two of them, actually, and so do you."

She rolled her eyes. "I know that, you prat. I was just noticing that you have soft hands."

Harry flushed at the observation. "My hands aren't soft," he said, trying not to sound like a petulant child. "They're calloused and…rugged and manly."

Hermione burst out laughing and ran a finger over his palm. "Silky soft," she said, and Harry flushed deeper. "Oh, don't be embarrassed about it. I'd prefer to hold a soft hand than a rough hand."

"Can you…do that again?" Harry asked, not looking at her.

"What? This?" He felt her fingers run over his palm again. She then moved to his hair, twitching a lock of it. "Or this?"

He felt himself lean in automatically, and Hermione gave a soft laugh, taking his hand again. She led him into a nearby classroom and walked over to the teacher's desk at the head of the room. Pulling out her wand, she cast a quick charm to clear of the dust that had accumulated from months of non-use. Hopping up to sit on it, she scooted to the far end, sitting cross-legged. She patted her lap.

"We were interrupted before, weren't we?"

Trying to contain his enthusiasm, Harry walked over, scooting onto the desk and lying so that his head was in her lap. The desk was just long enough that he could stretch his legs, and he lay there, staring up at Hermione's face as she ran her fingers slowly through his hair.

"Harry?" she asked after a few moments, and Harry made a noise to acknowledge his attention. "If you found out Cho was somehow free for the ball, would you go with her right now?"

"But I'm going with you, Hermione," he replied. "It would be rude to just dump you like that."

Hermione smiled at him, leaning down to peck him on the nose. He caught a whiff of her apple-scented hair as she straightened back up. "Thank you, Harry. But if I told you it was okay, would you rather go with her, or would you stay with me?"

Harry had to think about that one. On retrospect, he would probably be constantly worried about making a fool of himself in front of Cho. He definitely wouldn't be able to relax or let his guard down. And, thinking about it, there probably wouldn't be much he would be able to talk about with her, aside from Quidditch (though he could admittedly go on for a while about that topic). He could talk to Hermione and be around her without being nervous for any stretch of time.

"Honestly, I think I'd rather stay with you," he concluded. "You're easier to be around."

Hermione laughed. "So I'm the easy way out, huh?"

Harry poked her in the side, and she jumped slightly, making an adorable squeaking sound. "You know that's not what I mean." She resumed her ministrations on his hair, and he closed his eyes, shifting to allow her a better angle. "Cho's a pretty face, but that's all I know about her. We wouldn't have much of anything to talk about. You're a pretty face _and_ good conversation."

Hermione blushed at the compliment, giving him another kiss on the nose. "You're so sweet."

They sat in silence after that, listening to the distant sounds of students moving about the corridors late at night. Hermione would occasionally move patterns through his hair, alternating levels of pressure. Harry sighed, completely content.

"I like this," he said. "Sitting here with you, no one to bother me with questions about the tournament or newspaper articles." He opened his eyes, smiling up at Hermione. "Can we just stay here all night?"

She laughed, tickling his jaw. "I have to sleep eventually, Harry."

"Oh, all right," Harry said jokingly, acting as though it were a huge sacrifice.

It was a half hour later that they finally decided to return to the common room. Hermione gave him a lingering hug and kiss on the cheek, right on the corner of his mouth, whispering "Goodnight" as she pulled away.

Harry went to bed ten minutes later, his dreams filled with images of dancing with Cho, who somehow turned into Ginny, but she blushed and ran away. As Harry stared confusedly after her, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and there was Hermione in robes of periwinkle blue, smiling at him. They danced, but oddly, she led. When they finished, she looked up and kissed him –

His eyes snapped open, giving him a blurry image of his bed hangings. He reached up and touched a hand to his lips. Though Hermione had not actually kissed him, he could almost feel her lingering presence.

Nothing could be just a _little_ complicated anymore. It was either simple or shit-hitting-the-fan confusing.

……

"So, what's in the bag?"

"A teaching tool," Hermione replied. "I'll show you in a minute."

Harry shrugged. Currently, the pair was making their way through the halls to the unused classroom they had chatted in last night to begin their first dancing lesson. Hermione had a bag slung over her shoulder, and the contents rattled as she walked, though she refused to tell him what it was. Harry walked on her other side, holding her hand. This had become a habit of theirs ever since the previous night; Harry found that he liked holding Hermione's hand, and she did as well (though she occasionally teased him for his "soft hands").

They reached the classroom and cleared the old desks away with a wave of their wands. Stowing her wand in her pocket, Hermione turned to Harry, removing her outer robe as she spoke.

"Okay," she summoned a few candles and suspended them in the air to light the room more efficiently than the moonlight. Stowing her robe on the back of a chair, she turned to Harry. "What do you know about ballroom dancing?"

"Besides how difficult it seems?" Harry asked only half-jokingly as he removed his own robe, and Hermione smiled at him.

"Harry, it's just simple footwork," she said, moving past him and bending to retrieve whatever she had brought with her from her bag. She straightened and showed him –

"A radio?" Harry cocked his head curiously, and Hermione smiled.

"A wizard radio," she said. "I still haven't figured out how to enchant muggle radios to work in Hogwarts, and even if I did, they probably wouldn't get much of a signal with all of the magic in the air. So, I borrowed this radio from Parvati. There's a station called Ballroom Ballads that sounds perfect to practice to."

Harry only chuckled, looking at her in wonderment. "What would I do without you, Hermione?"

She turned red, looking at her shoes. "You'd get by."

"No, I wouldn't," Harry insisted, walking up to her. Leaning in, he gave her a kiss on the forehead. She gasped and looked up at him, her face turning pink. Biting her lip, she turned and retrieved her wand, waving it at the radio. What sounded like cello filled the room with a slow-tempo, quickly joined by a violin melody.

"Okay, put your hand on my waist," Hermione instructed him. Harry froze.

"What?" Hermione laughed softly, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Put your hand on my waist," she repeated, enunciating each word carefully. She took his hand and slowly moved it to the region in question. "And, the other…." She took his other hand and held it slightly away from their bodies, placing her free hand on his shoulder. "Good, now listen to the music, count the beats. _One_ two three, _one_ two three," she led him in the steps, and he jerkily followed, circling around the room.

Hermione was a patient instructor, gently chiding Harry when he messed something up, though not berating him. She didn't even get too mad when he stepped on her foot (which happened more than once). Eventually, they learned to synchronize their foot movements to eliminate the occurrence. After an hour of practice, Harry seemed to have mastered the basic foot movements, but he was far from proficient.

"Well done, Harry," Hermione said smiling at him as they did a turn to a more upbeat song. "You've really gotten the hang of this. We'll come back in a couple of days just to make sure it sticks, though, all right?"

Harry nodded, and they slowed to a stop. Hermione kissed him on the cheek, and they broke apart. She went over to pack up her radio, and Harry immediately missed her closeness. As she zipped up her bag, Harry made his way over to her, hovering nervously as he watched her putting on her robe. He itched to just wrap his arms around her, but indecision left him frozen on the spot. How would she react? She would probably be okay with it. But she had always initiated contact; what if she didn't want it now? She turned and stopped when she saw Harry so close. His thoughts must have shown through on his face, because she peered up at him in concern.

"Harry, are you okay?"

Harry didn't know why, but that was the breaking point. He wrapped his arms around Hermione and pulled her as close as he could, peering down, inches from her face.

"Harry?"

Her lips were just as soft as he'd imagined. Hermione made a small noise of surprise, but she made no effort to push him away. In fact, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, eagerly responding. Reaching up, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Harry wasn't sure exactly how long it lasted, but he knew they were both gasping for air as they pulled apart.

"Harry," Hermione gasped. "That was…amazing…."

"Likewise," Harry smiled, taking her hand. Hermione blushed and smiled up at him. It was the most adorable sight he'd ever seen.

"So…what now?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.

"I don't know," he said. "I don't really know anything about…this," he gestured at the space between them. Hermione smiled and hugged him, kissing him again. He marveled at the softness of her lips, at the sheer rightness that he felt. Hermione, the girl who knew him better than any other, was snogging him senseless in a classroom!

"Well," Hermione said upon pulling away. "Do you want to…go out? As in, you'll be my boyfriend, and I'm your g-girlfriend?" Harry thought he heard a small amount of hopefulness in her voice. His heart hammered as he pondered the question. Hermione, his girlfriend? If someone had brought up the notion a month ago, he'd have called them crazy, insisted she was just a friend. Now, though, "friend" just didn't seem to cover what he had with her.

"I'd like that," he said, and Hermione grinned, throwing her arms around him and kissing him again.

* * *

The End? I know, there was no actual Yule Ball, but so many stories seem to end with them kissing at the actual ball. I wanted them to have their moment beforehand. Also, for anyone wondering why Hermione was suddenly a lot more affectionate, she had just been asked to the ball and was currently feeling very appreciative towards her date (Harry), and maybe she has a little crush on him, too. And why was Harry so comfortable with Hermione when he could barely form a sentence around Cho? He's been friends with Hermione for three and half years. While she's a girl, she's a girl he's comfortable with.

Next chapter, we rock it out at the Yule Ball. Yes, "rock it out" is still cool, because I say it is.


	2. EP 1: Chapter 2

Well, I was not expecting the response I got, but it seems that this story is rather popular. So, rather than drag out the waiting period, I've decided to post the Yule Ball portion of this little narrative. You'll notice that I've borrowed extensively from the movie version of the Yule Ball. I just liked the whole rock concert experience a lot.

Enjoy!

Still don't own Harry Potter. I'm in talks for a rental agreement and we might have a partnership by the new fiscal year.

* * *

**Chapter Two:**

**I fought in the Triwizard Tournament and all I got was this stupid T-shirt**

"_One_ two three, _one_ two three, and spin," Hermione coached him, and he spun her appropriately. "Good. Now, dip _carefully_."

He slowly pulled her back in and lowered her into a dip, and she smiled as he stood her back up.

"Excellent, Harry. You've become quite the dancer."

"I had a great teacher," Harry grinned, tenderly caressing her cheek. Hermione smiled and leaned in, kissing him firmly. When they pulled apart, she had a huge grin plastered on her face, and Harry chuckled at the sight.

"If you smile any more, you'll split your face in two," Harry poked her in the side, and she giggled, kissing him again. Reaching under her legs, he lifted her up, placing her on the teacher's desk. Giggling again, she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer.

"I can't help it if I have the most amazing boyfriend ever," she said, and Harry felt his heart leap at the word "boyfriend".

"Yeah, I am pretty amazing," he said, and Hermione laughed as he looked impressively off into the distance, striking a pose.

"And so very modest," she added in an overly sappy, adoring voice. "Oh, Harry, you're simply everything I'd ever want in a man." She pretended to swoon, and Harry grabbed at her sides, tickling her furiously. Squealing, she attempted to wriggle away, but Harry had her pinned against the desk. "Harryyyyyy!"

Harry relented, and she slapped him on the chest, resting her head against it moments later. Harry reached down and lifted her face up with his finger, moving his hand behind her head. He pulled her into another kiss, this one much more tender than the others. He slowly flicked his tongue against her lips, the way he'd been told to by the boys late at night in the dorm when no one could sleep. Hermione gasped against his mouth, parting her lips, and their tongues clashed. Hermione quickly backed down, letting Harry's tongue roam her mouth. She tasted like chocolate, as she had eaten a piece offered earlier by Ron.

They were interrupted by a slamming sound, and they jerked apart, looking over to see the classroom door fly open, seemingly of its own accord. They jumped as a familiar voice came from the general direction of the doorframe.

"Oh, bloody hell, you two! Can't you keep your hands off each other for three minutes?"

"Ron?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at the voice, and Ron materialized out of nowhere, whipping Harry's invisibility cloak clutched in his hand. He looked at the two of them with mingled disgust and amusement.

"It's half an hour past curfew," he said. "I checked the map," he held up the Marauders' Map, "and went to make sure you were all right. Guess you were just busy," he chuckled.

The couple looked at each other and blushed, realizing they were still in their previous position, Hermione's legs wrapped around Harry's torso. They hastened to extricate themselves.

"You're not… mad?" Hermione asked as Ron made his way towards them. He shrugged.

"I reckon I'd have to be a right foul git to be mad," he said. "I've overreacted once already, and…I don't know, you seem right for each other."

Hermione smiled, and Harry clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, Ron. That means a lot."

Ron's ears turned slightly red as he held the cloak up.

"All right, enough mushy stuff," he said. "Let's get back to the common room."

……

Later that night, the trio was alone by the fireplace. A few other students were still mingling in the common room, finishing last minute essays and generally socializing. Hermione sat on one end of a couch by the fireplace, Harry dozing in her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair. Ron was playing chess against himself, occasionally glancing at the pair and rolling his eyes amusedly.

"You like him a lot, don't you?" he eventually asked quietly, so as not to awaken a sleeping Harry. Hermione smiled down at the sleeping boy on her lap and spoke.

"Yes," she whispered. "More than I think he knows. When he asked me to the ball, I was so happy. He was finally seeing me as a girl. I figured it was my chance to…get close to him." She looked up at him, and her smile turned slightly sad. "Ron, I'm sorry it didn't work between us – "

"Don't worry about me," Ron said. "I did…well, I still do like you. But you and I could never have what you and Harry have."

Hermione laughed quietly. "We'd probably end up strangling each other in the first year."

Ron chuckled, smiling fondly. "Don't worry about me, Hermione. You two deserve each other."

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione said. "I'm sure Harry would appreciate it, too."

"How long have you…liked him?" Ron asked, absently toppling a white rook with a black knight.

She blushed. "I'm not really sure. Since I met him, I guess. He was the first boy to care about me, my first friend…my first love…."

Ron looked at her in surprise. "Love?"

She nodded, still looking into Harry's peaceful face. "Maybe I'm still too young to tell, but I really think I'm in love with him. If nothing else, I care for him a lot." She leaned down and kissed Harry's forehead. Seconds later, his eyes fluttered open, a smile lighting on his face upon seeing her.

"Hey, sleepyhead," she whispered. "Don't you think it's time for bed?"

Harry frowned. "But I want to spend more time with you."

Hermione smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "We have all day tomorrow. And the day after, and the day after…."

"Okay, but the day after that is looking kind of busy," Harry grinned. "I might have to clear some space in my schedule."

"I'll have my people call your people," Hermione assured him jokingly. Harry chuckled.

"Wouldn't it be great to have people?" he asked, sitting up and fumbling for his glasses, which Hermione had removed in case he rolled around on the couch. "We should hire some."

"Harry you're fourteen," Hermione rolled her eyes as she handed him his glasses. "What would you need people for?"

"To make everyone think I'm important," Harry replied, accepting his glasses and putting them on. "Do you know how important it sounds when you say 'Call my people and set something up.'?"

"Nearly every witch and wizard on this side of the ocean knows who you are," Hermione said, kissing him on the jaw. "You don't need any help looking important."

Harry sighed exaggeratedly. "I suppose you're right." He grinned. "Again. I should know better than to disagree with you."

"Yes, you should," Hermione replied matter-of-factly. "Now, goodnight, Harry. I'll see you in the morning."

"You know, the four-posters are pretty big," Harry said as she kissed him goodnight. "And these winter nights are so cold. I bet we could both fit."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Goodnight, Harry," she said finally, her tone closing the matter. Harry mock pouted and turned, heading for his dorm, followed by Ron, who had observed the scene with a great deal of eye-rolling and an exasperated smile.

……

"Mate, you know how to tie a tie?" Dean asked.

"_Tie_ a tie?" Seamus countered with raised eyebrows. "I've never even _worn_ a tie!"

The two stood in front of a large mirror, fiddling uselessly with the articles in question. Nearby, Harry deftly tied his own (having had the process hammered into his head by Hermione), tightened it, and donned his outer robe, while next to him, Ron bemoaned his frilly dress robes.

"I look like my great aunt Tessie!" he shouted, raising an arm to sniff at the robes, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "I _smell_ like my great aunt Tessie!"

He turned to Harry, who was now neatly folding a handkerchief and poking it into his pocket.

"Murder me, Harry."

……

They descended the staircase to the common room moments later, and Harry felt his heart stop when his eyes met the sight waiting for him.

Hermione smiled nervously up at him, wearing robes of light blue periwinkle that fit snugly, though not so much as to be deemed inappropriate. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant braid that fell just below her shoulders, and she wore an ornate hairpiece shaped like a blue and green flower.

"Hermione, you look…amazing," Harry said, meeting her.

She smiled. "Thank you, Harry," she looked nervously down at herself. "Madame Malkin said I would look good in this shade of blue, but I told her – "

"Blue looks wonderful on you," Harry insisted. "Madame Malkin definitely knew what she was doing. And I like your fancy braid," he twitched her hair, and Hermione smiled wider.

"Parvati did it for me," she said. "She said I'd look nice with my hair back."

"Well, you have some great fashion consultants," Harry grinned, and Hermione finally laughed, taking his arm.

"Well, shall we, then?"

Harry nodded. "Let's."

When they got down to the great hall, they saw that the whole place had been transformed into a frosty winter wonderland. The walls, instead of stone, looked they were carved directly from ice, and fake snow fell from the ceiling, evaporating moments before hitting the occupants. Instead of the four long house tables, dozens of dozens of smaller tables filled the hall, with a slightly larger head table that was clearly meant for the champions and tournament sponsors.

"It's beautiful," Hermione said in awe, looking around at the Hall. Harry grinned, deciding a clichéd line was in order.

"Not as beautiful as you," he said softly into her ear, and she blushed, tapping him playfully on the arm.

"Harry!" she smiled. "How dare you use such a cheesy line on me?"

Harry laughed and led her to their table, being a gentleman and helping her into her chair. He sat next to her, and she sneaked a kiss when no one was looking. They were soon joined by the other judges, and Harry was surprised to see Percy Weasley sit in the spot that ought to have been occupied by Barty Crouch, though he was a sufficient distance away that they didn't have to engage in any conversation.

Soon, the other students were seated, and Harry saw Ron accompanied by Neville and Ginny (Neville was grinning at his luck, while Ginny seemed to be smiling at his enthusiasm) and a bemused-looking girl with silvery blue eyes (she seemed to be Ron's date).

"Who's that girl with Ron?" Hermione asked, following Harry's gaze.

"Dunno," Harry replied. "She's a bit…odd-looking, though, isn't she?"

Hermione laughed. "Well, maybe she thinks _you're_ odd looking."

"Well, I know _I'm_ odd-looking," Harry said. "I mean, how does a plain guy like me end up with a gorgeous girl like you? That's pretty odd."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're just full off corny romantic lines, aren't you?"

"You haven't seen anything yet, Granger," Harry said as though challenging her to a duel, and she rolled her eyes again.

Dinner was an enjoyable affair, mostly full of Harry and Hermione stealing food from each other's plates and dueling each other with their forks. Harry swore he noticed Dumbledore watching them in apparent amusement, his eyes twinkling when Harry met them.

"Perhaps we should resurrect sword fighting as a Triwizard Event, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Potter?" he asked, and Harry nodded while Hermione giggled in amusement.

"That would be a great idea, Professor," Harry agreed, and Dumbledore chuckled to himself, turning and speaking to Percy.

When they had finished their food, Dumbledore stood and directed everyone else to do so. With a wave of his wand, the tables on one half of the Hall vanished in a wisp of snowflakes, and another wave raised a platform along the far wall. Several men climbed onto the stage, taking up instruments ranging from what looked like electric guitars to cellos.

"Harry," Hermione took Harry's hands, directing them to their proper positions. "Just like we practiced. You'll do great."

Opening the dance with Hermione wasn't so bad. Aside from the many stares and mutterings of "I knew they were dating" coming from the crowd, that is. Hermione and Harry took their positions, and Harry made it through the steps. He wasn't ready for professional ballroom dancing, but he was better than Cedric, he thought smugly, watching the boy in question narrowly avoid stepping on Cho's foot. When the first song finished, Hermione smiled up at Harry.

"Thirsty?"

Harry nodded and gratefully allowed her to lead him from the floor, though he couldn't help but notice her glance longingly back at the dance floor, where the second song (a slightly faster number) had picked up, and many couples were now dancing happily.

"One drink, and then we can dance some more," Harry promised her, and Hermione brightened considerably.

Hermione went to get them a seat, and Harry grabbed a couple of drinks. As he poured the second cup, he heard a voice in the background scream "ARE YOU READAAAAAYYY!!!"

He turned and laughed at what he saw. A full-blown mosh had begun, and students were now jumping up and down, screaming in joy. Amidst the crowd, Neville was nervously dancing while Ginny thrashed next to him. Harry had always know she'd had a wild streak. Not far from her, Fred and George were actually lifting professor Flitwick over their heads and crowd surfing him.

"Now I'm glad we got out of there when we did," Hermione said, smiling at Harry as he joined her.

"I think it looks like fun," Harry said, and Hermione smiled, standing and dragging him toward the group, their drinks forgotten.

……

It was twenty minutes before they finally managed to extricate themselves from the crowd, both laughing joyously as they found their old seats, the punch (enchanted to stay cold no matter how long it was left) the perfect solution for their parched throats.

"Bloody good time!" Ron shouted, pulling along his blonde companion, followed closely by Ginny and Neville, Ginny looking as though she'd had the time of her life, Neville looking slightly frightened.

"That was exciting, but terrifying," he said, sitting down. Ginny was laughing.

"Was it exciting because of that Slytherin girl grinding against you?" she asked, and Neville turned scarlet. "I reckon she would've shagged you right on the spot if you hadn't run away."

Neville could only splutter wordlessly as Hermione turned to Ginny.

"Who's this?" she gestured at the blonde girl, who had been staring at an ice sculpture off in the distance, apparently mildly fascinated by it.

"Oh, sorry," Ginny said. "This is Luna Lovegood. She lives near my house, on the other side of the town. Luna this is – "

"Harry Potter and Hermione Granger," Luna interrupted her in a faraway voice, not looking away from the ice sculpture. "A pleasure."

Harry looked at Hermione, who mirrored his perplexed look.

"Luna's in third year with me," Ginny hastened to explain. "But in Ravenclaw. Her father's the editor of the Quibbler. Have you heard of it?"

"Yes, I have," Hermione said, looking surprised. "It's a very…interesting magazine."

Luna finally looked away from the ice sculpture, now looking at Hermione. "Isn't it, though? Father writes some of the most fascinating articles. He recently did an exposé on Barty Crouch's mysterious absence from the public eye." She leaned in conspiratorially. "He's a vampire," she whispered, her eyes widening even more than they seemed to be already.

"I feel like a dance," Hermione said, hurriedly standing, and Harry joined her. The music had slowed down while they'd been talking, and they made their way onto the floor.

"She's a…unique girl," Harry observed, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"She's more than unique, Harry, though that's a tactful way of putting it, I suppose," she said. "I've read the Quibbler. They print some of the most farfetched stories I've ever read."

"Which must be infuriating for a logical girl like yourself," Harry smiled, and Hermione giggled, kissing him on the nose. She put her other hand on his shoulder, and he moved so both hands were on her waist, both of them unconsciously moving closer.

"Mm," Hermione said, nuzzling his chest. "I could stay like this forever."

"It's a deal," Harry said, and Hermione smiled.

"Forever's an awfully long time, though," she said, looking up at him nervously. He only smiled, kissing her.

"I could do forever with you," he said. Hermione bit her lip, her eyes darting around nervously before she broke away from him, taking his arm.

"Come on," she said, dragging him out of the Great Hall and through the Entrance Hall, unaware of a twinkling set of eyes watching their progress.

Harry had little time to appreciate the garden that had been erected in front of the castle before Hermione led them to a secluded section of brick wall on the far side of the garden. Coming to a stop, she turned to him, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Harry, where are we right now?" she asked, looking up at him. Harry thought that was a rather simple question.

"Hogwarts?"

"No!" she said exasperatedly. "I mean _us_," she gestured between the two of them. "We're going out, but…what then?"

"Well…we date for a while, and if it goes well, we fall in love and get married and have kids, right?" Harry answered. That was always how it went in the movies, at least.

Hermione smiled. "Are you…willing to go there with me? Fall in love and all of that?"

"I…don't know if I'm in love with you, Hermione," Harry said, rolling one shoulder in a shrug. "I mean, I'm only fourteen, and…. I think it could happen, though. If you give me some time."

"I'll wait as long as you need, Harry," Hermione said, taking his hands in hers. "I'm happy where we are right now."

Harry smiled. "And I'll be happy wherever this goes, long as I'm with you. Now, we never finished our dance."

Harry and Hermione were the last to leave the dance floor that night, right behind Neville and Ginny.

……

The next morning saw Albus Dumbledore staring out of the window in his office, the portraits of the previous headmasters still slumbering in their frames, save for Phineas Nigellus, who was always an early riser.

"Pondering deep thoughts, I hope, Albus," the Slytherin former headmaster said, and Dumbledore turned, placing his wand to his temple and drawing away the silver fabric of his memories before placing the sample in a large stone basin engraved with runes. Two figures rose from the basin, one a ghostly image of himself, the other his young Potions master.

_"It's getting clearer, stinging again," Severus said urgently. "Karkaroff's too. It's a sign, Albus."_

Another image, this one of Harry and Hermione dancing contentedly, not a care in the world, rose, replacing the previous one.

"How unfortunate," Albus muttered, prodding the memory with his wand. It collected back around the tip, and he placed it back to his temple, the memory seeming to absorb back into his head.

"Very unfortunate," he said again, turning back to his window.

* * *

Something happened while I was writing this chapter. Ideas flooded my head for this story. I won't tell you where it's going, but it may be going somewhere.

Also, I obtained a copy of POA on CD. The narrator has the funniest voice ever.


	3. EP 1: Chapter 3

Things take a turn for the dramatic in this chapter, but not before some awkward teenage nudity!

Have fun!

* * *

**Chapter Three:**

**Is that a golden egg in your robe or are you just happy to see me?**

Harry wasn't sure how he'd gotten himself into this situation, but here he was, standing inches from a nude Hermione, trying to stay focused on what she was saying, but more interested in the swell of her chest and where it disappeared beneath the thick foamy bubbles coating the top of the prefects' bath.

Oh, yeah. Now he remembered the reason for this situation. He didn't know whether to thank Cedric on bended knee or punch him in the nose.

……

"Potter!" a voice called, and Harry turned to see Cedric running towards him in the corridor the day before classes were supposed to begin. He had been enjoying a walk with Hermione, but Cedric had other plans, it seemed.

"What do you need, Cedric?" Harry's anger at Cedric over beating him to asking Cho to the ball had evaporated long ago, to be replaced by a sort of respect for unknowingly orchestrating the events that had led to his relationship with Hermione.

"Harry, have you worked out that egg clue yet?" Cedric asked, and Harry shook his head. Was Cedric asking for his help? "Does yours wail when you open it?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, and Cedric grinned.

"Tell you what," he said. "You should take a bath. Take the egg with you and…mull things over in the hot water." He met Harry's eyes and gave him a significant look. "Use the prefects' bathroom, actually. Password's 'Pine Fresh'."

"O…kay," Harry said. "Thanks, Cedric."

Cedric nodded and went to rejoin Cho, who waved at Harry when he looked at her. Harry waved back, turning to Hermione, who had watched the whole exchange and was now looking excitedly at Harry.

"Harry, Mermish!"

Harry opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, then closed it once more. "What?" he asked slowly. Hermione rolled her eyes, taking his arm and continuing their walk.

"It's a language, Harry," she said. "Mermaids. They can only speak underwater, and above water, their voices are really scratchy, just like the noise the egg makes! You probably have to listen to the egg underwater!"

"…Oh."

……

Harry had of course assumed that he would don the invisibility cloak and take the Marauders' Map, making his way to the prefects' bathroom and enjoying a nice bath while working out whatever clue the mermaids had left for him.

What he hadn't taken into account was the fact that Hermione would naturally want to help.

"Hermione, not that I don't appreciate your offer, I don't think it's a good idea."

"And why not?" Hermione insisted the night Harry had decided to decipher the gg. "There might be a riddle or something, and I want to help you figure it out."

"But we'd have to bathe…together….naked," he finished in a whisper, and Hermione turned pink.

"You don't want to see me naked or something?" her tone was joking, but Harry could see her biting her lip, a sure sign she was worried.

"Well, of course I would," he said, turning red himself. "But…I don't want things to get awkward."

"Don't worry, Harry," Hermione said, kissing him on the cheek. "I've heard about the prefects' bathroom from Percy. From what he's told me, there'll be plenty of bubbles to cover…the naughty bits."

Harry chuckled, and Hermione swatted at him, but he dodged out of reach.

"'Naughty bits'?" he snickered, and Hermione turned scarlet. "I'd like to get a load of your 'naughty bits', Hermione," he whispered in her ear, and she blushed darker (if possible), though she looked somewhat pleased at his remark.

……

"Pine fresh!" Harry hissed at the door, and it swung open, revealing one of the most amazing baths Harry had ever seen. A high ceiling held a chandelier that cast a gentle glow on a bathtub the size of a small swimming pool. Situated at regular intervals around the tub were golden taps, each with a different colored jewel set into it. On the wall opposite them, several windows set high into the wall showed them a view of the night sky.

"Wooooow," Hermione breathed behind him as they closed the door. "This bathroom is amazing. I'd become a prefect just to bathe here."

"Hermione, you'll become a prefect anyway," Harry observed, and Hermione gave him a pleased smile. "What d'you supposed those taps do?"

"Each one has water mixed with a different kind of bubble soap," Hermione said, slipping out from under the invisibility cloak and making her way over to a tap. Harry dropped the cloak and joined her, setting the egg within arm's reach of the tub. Hermione turned the tap, and water began filling the tub. They experimented with the various different types of soap. Hermione found one that coated the top of the water with a thick foam that could probably have supported them if they wanted to try. By unspoken consent, they let that one run while they tried the other ones.

When the tub was full, they looked nervously at each other, and Hermione smiled at him.

"So…."

"Keep our backs to each other?" Harry suggested, and Hermione nodded vigorously, turning her back to him. Harry did the same, and they undressed, Harry trying very hard not to think about the face that Hermione was no less than ten feet away from him…naked.

As Harry tossed his boxers aside, he heard Hermione taking a calming breath and was slightly relieved that she was as nervous as he was.

"Go ahead and climb into the tub, Harry," Hermione instructed, and Harry gladly complied, sliding into the warm water, sighing in relaxation. "Now _don't_ turn around."

He heard padded footsteps behind him and the water sloshed slightly as Hermione lowered herself into the tub behind him.

"Okay, turn around," she said, and Harry turned to face her. The water came to just above her breasts, and Harry wasn't sure whether he was relieved or disappointed. "See? Now all we have to worry about is getting out of the tub."

"Yeah." Harry didn't think he could say anything more. Hermione laughed.

"Have you ever been with a naked girl, Harry?" she asked teasingly, and Harry shook his head. "What's it like?"

Harry looked at Hermione, soaking wet, having already dunked her head underwater, her hair clinging to her skin.

"Tempting."

She laughed again and kissed him on the nose, turning and sloshing to the edge of the pool to grab the egg.

"Well, let's find out what the egg has to say," she said, returning to him. "On three, then?"

Harry nodded, and she held the egg between the two of them. "One…two…three!"

They both sucked in a deep breath and shut their eyes, diving under the water. There was a muted clicking sound, and Harry heard an eerie, haunting singing.

"_Come seek us where our voice sound._

_We cannot sing above the ground._

_And while you're searching, ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss._

_An hour long, you'll have to look,_

_And to recover what we took._

_But past an hour, the prospect's black._

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."_

They resurfaced moments later, and Hermione already had a thoughtful look on her face.

"Well, taking into account that they're merpeople," she observed. "'Where our voices sound' probably means the lake. And 'We've taken what you'll sorely miss' is fairly obvious. 'An hour long you'll have to look'." She looked at Harry, who was watching her figure this out. "That's problematic."

……

Meanwhile, in a dilapidated manor in Little Hangleton, a single room was lit by a roaring fireplace, stoked by a round, balding man who wore tattered robes. A rather large snake sat near the balding man, sleeping contentedly near the source of the warmth. In a chair nearby sat a human-shaped figure bundled in a blanket, its flat, snakelike face staring at a letter it held in one feeble arm.

"The old man is growing suspicious," he said, his hoarse voice high-pitched and inhuman. "Write our man back. Tell him to begin the contingency plan."

"Master," the man by the fireplace said. "So soon? With just a little more time to prepare – "

"There has been plenty of time, Wormtail!" the larval Dark Lord screamed. "Begin the plan!"

The cowering man hastened to write a letter, observed by the small form in the chair.

……

"Harry, look at this!" Hermione hissed to Harry as the trio pored over the books in the library two days after "The Bath of Love", as Ron had called it upon hearing about the pair's excursion(he was convinced that they had shagged, though they vehemently denied it). "The Bubblehead Charm! 'Performed properly, the spell casts a bubble around the user's head which allows only oxygen through. It is favored by deep sea divers and garbage men.' It's NEWT standard, but I'm sure you could work it."

"Brilliant, Hermione!" Harry whispered, kissing her. "Let's get back to the common room and practice this."

They packed up their books, checked out the one with Bubblehead Charm in it, and made their way back to the common room. As they walked, Hermione read the section on the charm to ascertain its difficulty.

"It seems simple enough," she said. "And look, the incantation's Italian. _Ossigeno Maschile_!" She waved her wand, and a bubble flickered around her head twice before disappearing. "Drat! Well, we'll figure it out later."

"Potter!" a familiar growling voice sounded, and a clunking sound announced Moody's arrival. He surveyed the three of them, his blue eye scanning the rest of the hallway. "We need to discuss your last test. The score was a little lower than what I expected from you. My office."

Hermione kissed him on the cheek, and Ron told him they'd be waiting in the common room. He followed Moody the short distance to his office and sat down at one of the chairs. On the desk sat his test, a large letter "A" scrawled in red ink.

"Some of your answers were a bit vague, Potter," Moody said, sitting across from Harry. "Take a look at number four, for instance."

Harry grabbed his test, immediately feeling the sensation of a hook being lodged behind his navel. His fingers seemed glued to the parchment as Moody's office dissolved in a rushing blur of colors.

* * *

GASP!! Upon receiving a review from someone name Wulfweard questioning why Harry wasn't kidnapped earlier, I pondered to myself and realized that's a damn good question. Why wait for the final task or bother with the tournament at all when Crouch/Moody could just get Harry alone and whisk him away? The results would be the same, just sooner. So, I abruptly changed direction in this story and had Harry get taken away significantly earlier. And some may realize that the portkey is now a piece of paper and thus susceptible to the wiles of the wind. How will Harry escape this time? You'll have to wait.

Oh, and those of you screaming _OMG! They gotz naked!_ Younger kids have done worse. Hermione knew that there would be means of making sure they didn't see any "naughty bits", and she trusts Harry not to try anything.


	4. EP 1: Chapter 4

Fur stoval, I want to thank all of the people who reviewed the story and flooded my inbox with notifications of favorites, alerts, reviews, author favorites, etc., all together totaling in the hundreds, I'm sure. You guys keep up the reviews, I'll keep up the chapters. Deal? Okay. Moving on.

So, a lot of people have mentioned that the wards within the castle would probably have been set up to prevent a portkey from being used as it was to kidnap Harry. I'll concede that that's a likely case, but for argument's sake, let's just pretend that Voldyshorts did some powerful dark enchantments on the portkey to disable the wards in Crouch/Moody's office before he sent it to Crouch/Moody, and let's face it, he probably could have. I think the Death Eater would have been unconcerned about blowing his cover when he believes that his boss is gonna come screaming into Hogwarts to decimate the place. Anyway, that's my paper-thin explanation. In this chapter, we introduce an OC of mine who has shown up in my previous stories.

* * *

**Chapter Four:**

**I'm no knight in shining armor, but bear with me, princess.**

The Hanged Man? Seriously? An ominous name for a pub, surely. Still, food was food, and Leon Mason was hungry. Stomach growling, he stepped into the pub, discreetly casting a widespread compulsion charm that would avert any stares at the thin sword hanging from his belt. Plopping down at the counter, he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over the seat next to him.

"What's your poison?" the young lady behind the counter asked, eyeing him appraisingly. Leon grinned, and she blushed.

"Whatever's on tap and a baked potato, please," he said, and the lady went to the back of the store. He leaned back in his chair and looked at his reflection in the large mirror on the other side of the bar. Other than the scar across his right cheek, he thought he had a lot going for him. His shoulder-length red hair was pulled back in a ponytail at the base of his neck, and he had recently shaved three weeks of scruffy beard, leaving him looking younger than his twenty-three years.

He was served his drink and was waiting for his food when he felt it. Magic. Dark magic. It was a small presence at first, but growing exponentially. Closing his eyes, he reached out with his senses. Ten miles west, accompanied by a weaker presence and an almost nonexistent one. He could feel the malevolence, hatred, anger radiating off of the newest presence, and the other two were clearly cowering in fear.

"And here's your food – "

"Sorry to not eat and run," Leon said, hurriedly jumping from his chair and dropping some money on the counter. "Something's come up."

He ran from the bar and took off for the magic source, running faster than most cars.

……

What had happened? An hour ago, he'd been sitting next to Hermione in the library, looking up spells for the second task, and now he was squaring off with the now resurrected Dark Lord Voldemort. It was impossible. Voldemort was dead. Gone. Harry had unknowingly seen to it himself fourteen years ago.

He had to be dreaming. Or having a nightmare.

"_Crucio!_"

His insides were on fire. Harry writhed on the ground, crying out in pain. _Wake up!_ he yelled in his head. _Wake up and go to breakfast! Wake up and prove it's a dream!_

The spell was abruptly shut off, and Voldemort approached him slowly.

"I'm going to kill you, Harry," he said softly, and Harry shook his head. "Yes. I'm going to put to rest the question that should never have arisen. 'Is Harry Potter stronger than the Dark Lord?' No. He's not."

He raised his wand, and Harry raised his own, but neither managed to fire off a curse before a bright yellow light flew at Voldemort, and he dodged.

"_Reducto!_"

The ground at Voldemort's feet exploded, and he flew backward. A figure appeared in front of Harry. He was dressed in simple muggle clothing and carrying a long, wicked looking sword. Some of the surrounding Death Eaters sent curses flying at him, and he swung his sword in a wide circle. The spells seemed to bounce off of an invisible dome.

"You okay, kid?" the stranger asked Harry, and he nodded.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Voldemort shouted, and the new guy pointed his sword at the ground in front of Voldemort. A pillar six feet in height jutted from the earth, shattering as it blocked the spell. Taking advantage of Voldemort's distraction, the swordsman grabbed Harry and slung him over his shoulder, and everything went dark.

……

When Harry had regained his sight, he was being placed to the ground in the middle of Hogsmeade. He recognized Zonko's over the man's shoulder. Harry swayed on his feet, and the man put an arm around his shoulder to support him.

"Easy now," as he spoke, Harry dimly registered an American accent. "Hey!" he said as Harry finally gave to his exhaustion and passed out.

……

"…happened to be in the area and felt…"

"…thing you were, or we may have lost young Mister Potter…"

"…Harry? Can you hear me? If you can, I'm not leaving you, Harry…."

"…Lord's really back? What could this mean…?"

Voices registered as he slipped in and out of awareness, most of them familiar. They were all hushed but urgent. As Harry felt himself come around, the events he had just witnessed came back to him in a whirl of color and voices. As the newly resurrected Voldemort's face flashed in front of his eyes, red eyes burning, he sat quickly sat up, immediately regretting his decision. His head swayed like his brain had been liquefied, and he fell back to his covers as he felt a hand on his arm.

"Harry! Thank goodness!" He felt a set of lips on his cheek. "I was so worried about you!"

"Go easy on him, Hermione," Ron's voice said in the distance. Hermione backed off, and Harry slowly sat up. Hermione and Ron were sitting in chairs near his bed, Hermione looking tired, her bushy hair a wild mess. Ron looked exhausted as well. In the background, Dumbledore was talking with the man who had rescued Harry. They seemed to be arguing. The man noticed Harry watching and grinned at him.

"Morning, sunshine," he said. "Close call there, eh?"

"Who are you?" Harry asked as the man approached his bed. He held out a hand, and Harry noticed that it was deathly pale.

"Leonidas Emmanuel Mason," he introduced himself, and Harry shook his hand; it was cold to the touch. "Call me Leon or Principal Mason."

"Principal?" Harry asked, and Leon nodded.

"Of the Denson Academy of Magic in the United States," he explained. "I was doing a little European tour and happened to be in the area when you were in trouble."

"Thank you," Harry said. "I owe you one."

Leon grinned. "Don't mention it." He turned to the wizened Hogwarts headmaster and smirked. "Well, I'll take my leave. Call me if you need anything, Potter."

He disappeared in a wisp of black smoke, and Hermione watched the spot where he'd vanished with chagrin.

"I want to know how he does that!" she hissed. "You can't apparate or disapparate on Hogwarts grounds, but he manages to!"

"It doesn't look like normal apparation, though, does it?" Ron asked. They both quieted at Dumbledore's approach.

"Children, I wish to speak to Harry in private, if you please," he said.

"Headmaster, can they stay?" Harry asked, taking Hermione's hand. "I…want them to hear what happened."

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Very well. Now, please tell me what happened."

……

_**He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Alive And At Large!**_

_By Killian Michaels_

_Pandemonium at the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement today as Aurors are trying to contain the public's reaction to the news that the Dark Lord has indeed returned. One week ago, the Daily Prophet was informed by an insider at the Ministry that You-Know-Who has managed to resurrect himself and is now actively opposing the wizard world once again. This news came accompanied with the shocking revelation that Bartemius Crouch Jr., supposedly dead child of Bartemius Crouch Sr., Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, was in fact the orchestrator behind the return of the Dark Lord._

_In the face of testimony from both father and son, the Ministry has been forced to recognize the grim fact that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is indeed back and as bad as ever._

"And then they just go on to talk about what a tragic hero you are," Hermione said, setting the paper down. Harry sighed and stared lethargically at the fireplace.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" he asked, and Hermione hugged him, kissing him on the jaw.

"Not everything," she said. "I'll always be here for you, Harry. Whatever happens, I will never leave your side."

Harry smiled at her and kissed her tenderly, pouring all of his affection for her into it.

"I'll be here, too, mate," Ron said with a grin, "but there's no way I'm snogging you."

That got a laugh out of Harry, and he lightly punched his best friend in the shoulder. "I wouldn't expect you to."

The three sat in silence, Harry moving to rest his head in Hermione's lap as they did so frequently.

"I heard Beauxbatons left this morning," Ron said, sounding slightly disappointed. Hermione noticed this.

"Going to miss Fleur, are you?" she asked, and Ron's ears reddened. "Durmstrang's going tomorrow, you may want to get Krum's autograph while you've got the chance."

_That's right_, Harry noted. _The tournament's been canceled_. When Crouch Jr. had revealed that his original plan had been to use the Triwizard Cup to transport Harry to the graveyard, the tournament officials had seen fit to cancel the tournament, which Harry noted would have been just as easy to do when Harry had been mistakenly signed up for the tournament.

"It's almost dinnertime," Hermione said, checking her watch. She ruffled Harry's hair. "Are you hungry today?"

Harry shook his head. "Not really."

Hermione smiled gently down at him. "At least join us for dinner. Maybe you'll find your appetite."

They walked to dinner, Hermione clutching Harry's right arm, Ron walking on Harry's left, ready to face whatever life threw at them.

END PT. 1

EPILOGUE:

"Ah, Severus," Albus greeted his potions master. "What have you learned?"

"The Dark Lord has certainly been caught off guard," Severus said, standing rigidly straight in front of his boss. "He wasn't counting on Potter's survival, and he wasn't counting on the wizard public finding out about his return so promptly."

"That's certainly good news," Dumbledore said. Severus gave a curt nod. "Very good, Severus. And do you have the potion?"

Snape jerked a hand out, producing a rather large bottle of a mother-of-pearl potion stopped with a cork. Even in the bottle, the wizened headmaster could make out the smells of grassy fields and a certain musky scent.

"One tablespoon every week," was all the Potions master said, and Albus nodded, dismissing him.

"Drastic measures, Albus?" Phineas said, watching the scene with a wicked smile.

"The Granger girl has complicated things," Albus said, studying the bottle. "Unfortunately, I'll have to use my trump card, as the muggles say."

He conjured a box, placed the bottle in it with cushioning charm, and closed it, wrapping it in simple brown paper with a wave of his wand. Taking out a piece of parchment and dipping his quill into some ink, he jotted down a quick note and rolled it up, attaching it to the packaged with some string. He stood, taking the box with him, and walked over to Fawkes, who was losing a few feathers, but otherwise still in good health.

"I need you to make a trip for me," he spoke to the phoenix, who nodded, taking the package in its large beak and disappearing in a flash of flame, leaving Albus shaking his head.

"Most unfortunate."

* * *

Hmm, what's in the bottle? Well, you conspiracy theorists probably know already. Those of you who don't, you won't like it. Anyway, this officially ends the first arc of the story. Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts ended prematurely, and Voldemort is out in the open. The next arc will deviate completely from canon. I'll probably start posting it in a couple days if all goes well.

Oh, and if you think the new guy is too powerful , I apologize. He is basically what a fully realized (if a little more powerful than average) wizard is, at least in my definition.


	5. EP 2: Chapter 1

All right, this officially begins the second arc of the story. Parts of this chapter will confuse and upset Harry/Hermione shippers, but the issue will be resolved by the end of the chapter, worry not. So, read on!

**Chapter Five:**

**Whenever you say "I have a plan", I always end up in the hospital.**

Hogwarts had ended up closing early, which was just as well, since the wizard public's shock at the resurrection of the Dark Lord had resulted in half of the student body being withdrawn anyway. In lieu of spending nine months at the Dursleys, Harry had instead been sent to the Weasleys, at least until June. Harry wasn't complaining. Other than the pall cast by Voldemort, this would probably be the most fun he'd have in his life. He only wished Hermione could stay, but she wanted to spend some time with her parents, whom she hadn't seen in some time.

It was still too cold to play Quidditch in the orchard, so days were spent indoors. Ginny unofficially filled in the missing female presence in the group, joining them in their various pursuits, be it a game of Exploding Solitaire or just a walk around the yard.

January faded to February, and one snowy day found the group sitting around the fireplace. Harry was reading a book Hermione had loaned him while Ginny and Ron played a spirited game of chess. In the corner, a wizard radio not unlike the one Hermione had trained him with a lifetime ago sat on a table, pumping out soft jazz music.

"Hot cocoa," Mrs. Weasley sang, bustling into the sitting room and handing out mugs. "Ron, extra chocolatey; Ginny, a hint of cinnamon; Fred and George, mint and vanilla; and Harry, good old fashioned hot cocoa. Enjoy."

They all chorused their thanks, and she bustled from the room, and Harry inhaled a whiff of his hot cocoa. It smelled delicious, like chocolate, but also carried a hint of…apples? Had Mrs. Weasley added apples to his cocoa? She'd said old fashioned. Shrugging, he took a sip. It tasted divine, and he quickly downed the whole mug.

He went back to his book, vaguely aware of the others sipping their cocoa. Unfortunately, it seemed he had drunk his cocoa a little too fast, as a bubble erupted in his stomach, ending in a loud belch escaping from his throat. He covered his mouth.

"'Scuse me," he said, and the rest of room laughed at the sound.

"Blimey, Harry," Fred said.

"You swallow a frog?" George asked him. Harry grinned as a sound met his ears. A truly beautiful sound. He looked up to see Ginny laughing, her face transported in delight. He felt his face heat up as he watched her long after the laughter had subsided and everyone had gone back to their pursuits. His book lay forgotten next to him. Soon, Ginny seemed to feel his stare and covertly glanced at him, blushing when she saw him staring at her. She really did look cute when she blushed. How had he not noticed sooner?

"Do I have something on my face, Harry?" she asked, smiling nervously. Harry quickly glanced away.

"No, just…lost in thought." It wasn't a lie. He just didn't want her to know that those thoughts were about her.

……

Valentine's Day soon came, and Harry awoke to see a single white envelope waiting on his bedside table, sealed with heart-shaped sticker. Harry briefly entertained the notion that it was from Ginny, and his heart soared at the idea. Then he remembered that it was probably from Hermione. Happy nonetheless to be corresponding with her, he opened the envelope. It was a simple letter written in red ink.

_Happy Valentine's Day, Harry!_

_I know you're not the type for mushy romantic things like poems and gooey pet names, so I just wanted to send you a letter and let you know that I haven't stopped thinking about you._

_How are you? Are the Weasleys treating you all right? I guess that's a silly question. Mrs. Weasley absolutely loves you. I miss you terribly, and I hope we can see each other soon. I do love spending time with my parents, though. I may come visit sometime in March. Mum and Dad are going to a dentists' conference in London, and I'll be all alone._

_I hope to see you soon!_

_Love,_

_Hermione_

Harry smiled as he read the letter. It would be nice to see her again. Still, he was slightly disappointed that he hadn't gotten something from Ginny. He got dressed and made his way downstairs for breakfast. As he passed Ginny's room, he saw her emerge and walked over to her.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she said by way of greeting, then frowned. "You look bummed. Hermione not get you anything?"

"She got me something," Harry said, pretending to pout. "But _you_ didn't."

"Oh!" Ginny turned pleasantly pink at that. "W-well, I didn't know you wanted anything. From me, that is."

"Of course I do," Harry said, walking up to her. "In fact, I can think of one thing that you can give me right here."

"H-Harry, are you okay?" Ginny asked. "You've been acting strange lately."

Harry wasn't paying attention; he was watching her lips move. She had very pretty lips. And wonderful brown eyes. He leaned in, and their lips connected. Ginny gasped, and Harry took the opportunity to probe her mouth. She fought, pushing his tongue with hers and making the most adorable noises.

When they parted, Ginny was gasping for breath, and Harry was grinning.

"H-Harry?" He shushed her with a finger over her lips, leaning in to kiss her again.

She didn't fight this time.

……

"When did you realize that you liked me as more than Ron's sister?" Ginny asked as they sat curled up on the couch a couple of weeks later, Ginny leaning back against Harry, his arms around her.

"A couple weeks before Valentine's Day," Harry said. "I was watching you, and it sort of…clicked. Well, it felt more like having an anvil dropped on me."

Ginny giggled, and Harry marveled at the sound. She had the cutest laugh ever, really. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Sit here with you all day," Harry said, and Ginny giggled again.

"We'd get all cramped eventually," she said, and Harry shrugged; he was perfectly fine with that.

"Mail!" Ron called from the other room, entering the sitting room. "Ginny, Luna sent you a letter, and Hermione sent us – bloody hell!"

Ginny and Harry looked curiously at Ron, who was surveying the two with a completely shocked expression.

"Harry! What are you doing!?"

"Oh, Ron, don't act the protective older brother," Ginny said exasperatedly. "I can handle myself."

"That's not what I mean!" Ron said, pulling Ginny off of Harry. She staggered to her feet, fixing him with a loathing look. "Harry, what about Hermione? You two were all over each other back at school!"

"Ron, it was just a date to the ball," Harry tried to explain, surprised at his overreaction. He stood and took Ginny's hand. "We went as friends; that's it."

Ron looked at Harry as though he were speaking some foreign language. "You two basically came out and said you loved each other!"

Harry gave him a concerned look. "Ron, are you all right? You're acting a little…off."

"I'm not the only one," Ron grumbled, stalking off to the kitchen. Harry shrugged and plopped back down on the couch, pulling a giggling Ginny with him.

……

Ron stepped into the kitchen to see his Mum preparing her customary afternoon cocoa. She added their preferred flavors, and then reached into her robes and producing a small bottle roughly the size of a bird egg. She pulled the stopper and dumped the contents into what had been dubbed Harry's cup. The cup gave a spiraling puff of pink vapor, and even from his position, Ron could smell a citrusy smell he vaguely associated with Christmastime.

"What's that?"

His mother jumped and turned to Ron, smiling at him.

"Cocoa," she answered quickly, holding his mug out to him. Ron took it, but continued to eye his mother in confusion. "Be careful, it's still quite hot."

"You added a potion to Harry's," he said. "What was it?"

"Oh, he's been looking under the weather lately," Mrs. Weasley said pityingly. "Poor dear spent too much time in the snow yesterday. So, I added some Pepper-Up potion to his cocoa." She walked past him and into the living room. "Cocoa! Fred! George! If you want cocoa, get down here!"

Ron wasn't buying it. Even with his minimal knowledge of potions, he knew that a Pepper-Up potion was red in color, not pearly, like this potion had been. And his mum was acting awfully jumpy, to boot. Maybe it was connected to Harry's strange behavior.

His mother was up to something, and he didn't like it.

…..

Hermione clutched the letter Ron had sent her only last night in her hands as she dismounted from the Knight Bus in Ottery St. Catchpole.

_I'll meet you in town when you get here. We need to talk._

_Ron_

Sure enough, the redhead was waiting for her as the bus disappeared with banging sound that none of the muggles seemed to hear.

"Ron," she hugged him, and Ron gave her a quick hug back. "Where's Harry?" She was slightly disappointed that her boyfriend hadn't come to greet her.

"Hermione, there's a problem," Ron said. "I thought I should tell you before you…saw them."

"What happened?" Hermione asked, fearing the worst. Had Harry been abducted again? "Them"? Was his family involved somehow?

"I think…. Hermione, I think my mum's dosing Harry with love potion," Ron said, and Hermione stared at him, disbelieving. Love potion?

"Ron, that's…not very likely," she said as they walked toward the Burrow. Ron shook his head.

"Then how do you explain…. Hermione, Harry's convinced he's in love with Ginny!"

Hermione stopped. Ron had made it a few steps before he noticed and stopped as well, making his way back to her.

"What?" she asked, a cold feeling sweeping down her chest. Ron sighed.

"Back on Valentine's Day, according to Ginny," he began, "Harry told her that he wanted a Valentine's gift from her and…kissed her. Hermione!"

For Hermione had fallen to her knees, cushioned by the soft grass of the hill. Ron knelt next to her.

"He doesn't…like me anymore?" she asked. She couldn't believe it. She'd been so happy when Harry had asked her to the ball, but how could she have deluded herself? She was just a convenience, just a quick date so that he didn't make a fool of himself. As soon as she was out of the picture, he'd moved on to the pretty redhead.

"Hermione, I know he likes you," Ron said, kneeling in front of her. "Look, I was watching my mum make cocoa for us the other day, and she added a bit of potion. It was pearly, you know? And it gave off a pink smoke that spiraled a little, and it smelled like oranges."

Even in the throes of despair, Hermione did the calculations in her head. "Would you say it was mother of pearl?" She saw Ron nod. "And it smelled like oranges?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "To me, at least. I asked Harry, and it smelled like apples to him. Ginny said it smelled like pine needles."

Hermione's despair was fast fading, replaced by anger. "Amortentia…. That…conniving…mother!" She stood and stormed off to the house with renewed vigor, Ron hastily following behind her.

……

Albus Dumbledore read his progress report, pleased with what he saw. Harry and the Weasley girl were getting on famously, and Harry seemed quite at home at the Burrow. He might not even have to send him back to Dursleys this year if all went well. Molly was running low on potion, though. Severus would have to whip up another batch.

He startled by the sudden flaring of green flames in his fireplace.

"Albus!" Molly Weasley's unmistakable voice shouted. "Harry's gone!"

……

_Minutes earlier..._

"_Reducto!_" the hex had made short work of the Weasley's front door (and most of the surrounding wall), giving Hermione plenty of room to storm in, followed by a slightly awed Ron.

"Hermione Granger!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked, having dropped the tray of cocoa she had been preparing. "What on earth do you think you're doing!?"

"I could ask the same of you!" Hermione shouted. "How _dare_ you trick Harry!? How _DARE_ you betray his trust!? Betray _my_ trust!? Did you hope you could get your big happy Weasley family!? Or did you just want the Boy-Who-Lived as a son-in-law!?"

Mrs. Weasley fumed silently, reaching for her wand.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Hermione shouted. "_Petrificus Totalus!_"

Mrs. Weasley's arms snapped to her sides, and she toppled to the floor. Hermione turned, dashing into the sitting room, where Harry and Ginny were running in, holding hands. Hermione felt a pang of dismay at the sight, but it was quickly absorbed by the anger she still felt at Mrs. Weasley.

"Come on, Harry," she said in a voice of forced calm. "We're leaving."

"What?" Harry asked, looking at the scene in the kitchen in shock. "Hermione, what's going on? What did you do to Mrs. Weasley?"

"I'll explain later," Hermione insisted. "We need to go. Pack some things."

"Ginny's coming, too."

She sighed. "Fine."

……

It was only because of his complete trust in Hermione that Harry allowed himself to be led to the fireplace, where Hermione had thrown in some floo powder and shouted, "The Leaky Cauldron!" One spinning ride later, they were hopping a normal muggle bus to a hotel. Tomorrow, they would head for Hermione's house.

Later that night, through a letter Ron had discovered in Mrs. Weasley's room, they had learned the extent of the plan against Harry.

_Molly,_

_I hope this letter finds you in good health._

_As you know, due to circumstances outside of my control, The Dark Lord has risen again. I have discovered a means to combat him and vanquish him forever this time. However, the process requires Harry Potter, and he is somewhat out of reach at this point._

_You may or may not have heard that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger have become an item. I feel that this would be detrimental to his development as a wizard, as Miss Granger would cause him to lose focus on the task at hand. That is why I need your help. Enclosed are eight phials of Amortentia keyed to your daughter, Ginevra. Slip one of these to Harry once every week for the foreseeable future (I will send more as needed), and he will realize his feelings for Ginevra. I believe your daughter is a wonderful match for young Harry and will help him stay the course that has been laid before him._

_I hope for your cooperation. It is my belief that we will soon not require the potion. Harry simply needs a push in the right direction._

_I am, your most sincerely,_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_P.S. And do say hello to Arthur for me. I haven't seen him in ages, it seems._

Hermione read the letter with trembling hands and passed it to Ginny, who looked ready to cry. Harry took the letter and read through it, his eyes widening in horror. He looked up at Ginny, then over to Hermione, then back to Ginny, and finally back to the letter.

Then the potion began to wear off.

"They…they…" he muttered. "How…." He looked up at Ginny, who now had tears streaming down her face. "Ginny, how could you?"

She sobbed and slumped onto the bed, covering her face with her hands. Ron hastened to comfort her, and Hermione took Harry's hand, dragging him out into the hallway. As he walked, Harry registered Hermione for what felt like the first time.

"Hermione…. I'm so sorry," he said as they stopped, and Hermione hugged him tightly.

"It's okay, Harry," she said. "I don't blame you. Not one bit."

Relief washed over Harry, and he hugged her to him. As they broke apart, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, smiling slightly as she pulled away.

"You've gotten taller," she accused, and Harry shrugged.

"I'm a growing boy," he said, and Hermione hugged him again.

"I missed you so much, Harry," she said. "Just being around you."

"Likewise," Harry said. "Ron's all right, but there's a lack of any intelligent conversation."

Hermione giggled, but it seemed mentioning Ron had triggered memories of Mrs. Weasley, as her face darkened.

"That foul woman. And Dumbledore! We trusted him for four years, Harry. How long has he been manipulating us?"

Harry shook his head. He had always seen Dumbledore as the rock, the one solid in his life. Whatever his problems, Dumbledore could fix them. Now, knowing that Dumbledore couldn't be trusted, it was as though they were lost.

"We need a plan," Hermione said. "We need to contact someone."

"Who?" Harry asked. "Everyone's connected to Dumbledore somehow. Sirius is in no position to help us, and neither is Lupin. Everyone else is from Hogwarts, and we don't know if Dumbledore's gotten to them."

"Professor McGonagall," Hermione whispered, and Harry shook his head. Even their own head of house was on the suspect list.

"Can we trust anybody?" Harry asked, and Hermione appeared to be deep in thought. Moments later, her eyes brightened.

"What about that American?" she asked. "What was his name? Leon Mason?"

Harry had to think for a moment who she was talking about. "Oh, the one that…saved me?" He didn't mention Voldemort or the graveyard, and Hermione glossed over it, too.

"He didn't seem to be on good terms with Dumbledore from what I saw," Hermione explained. "He even once said to be careful around him. Now I understand what he meant."

"We should write him as soon as possible," Harry said.

They agreed to write the American professor tonight and headed back to their room, where Ginny was sitting quietly on the bed. The sound of running water told them that Ron was in the shower. The redheaded girl looked up at the two of them and looked ready to cry again. Hermione rushed over and gave her a hug.

"It's all right, Ginny," Hermione said, rocking her back and forth. Ginny closed her eyes and leaned into Hermione's embrace. "We don't blame you. Once Harry sets his sights on you, you just sort of don't ask questions, do you?"

Ginny nodded with a nervous laugh. "H-He was paying attention to me for the first time, and…I just ignored all of the warning signs."

Harry stood off to the side, a little sore at Ginny for taking advantage of his befuddled mind, but as Hermione had said, when someone you've pined after suddenly shows an interest, you get swept up. Back before he'd had Hermione, he knew that he would've gone to Cho in an instant if she'd asked. He sat down on Ginny's other side and patted her on the shoulder.

They'd figure this out.

……

"Good morning, students of Denson Magic Academy!" Leon Mason spoke into the mouthpiece of his PA system. "It is March 21st, 1995, and, the weather is a balmy seventy two degrees. Our first major announcement of the day is…the large snowy owl on my desk."

Leon glanced at the owl in question, completely forgetting that he was conducting a school-wide morning announcement.

"Emily! What's this owl doing on my desk!?"

"Sir, you're still live, and what owl?" his Assistant Principal asked, walking into the room. "Oh."

"Take over," Leon sighed. He loved giving announcements, but the owl was staring at him intently, not diverting its gaze. As Emily resumed the announcement, Leon picked up the envelope that the owl had brought him. His name was written across it in very neat print. He opened it and unfolded the parchment. Definitely British wizards. No one used such outdated means of post anymore.

_Dear Professor Mason,_

_You may not remember me, but my name is Hermione Granger. You saved my boyfriend, Harry Potter, from Voldemort. You told him to call on you if he needed anything. I'm afraid that we do._

"Man, I knew he was bad, but I didn't know he was_ this_ bad," Leon said as he continued to read the letter, which recounted a tale of such deceit and manipulation that it wouldn't be out of place in a daytime soap opera.

"What is it, sir?" Emily looked over his shoulder, and Leon rolled his eyes.

"How many times have I told you not to call me 'Sir'?" he asked, turning to face Emily, who barely hid a smirk.

"When we're at work, it's 'Sir'," she insisted, and Leon chuckled, looking back at the letter.

"I'm afraid I may have forgotten something in Britain," he said with a long-suffering sigh, setting it on the table.

"You mean that very important ring that I gave you for your birthday?" Emily asked, already heading for the filing cabinet and drawing out a form.

"The very same," Leon said, removing the ring in question from his finger handing it to her. "I just didn't want to consider the possibility that it was here somewhere, and I made an emergency trip to Britain."

"A wild goose chase," Emily said, filling out the required travel expense forms for the school.

"You tried to warn me," Leon said, coming up behind her and kissing her on the cheek.

"Be careful," she said, and Leon winked, stepping back and disappearing in a wisp of black smoke.

……

Don't mess with Hermione's man, I suppose, would be the moral of this chapter. And those of you screaming hate at Ginny, she wasn't informed of the situation. She just knew that the object of her schoolgirl fantasies was suddenly paying a lot of attention to her. What would you do? The next chapter shows the fallout of this little explosion, and the quartet reunites with a certain American.


	6. EP 2: Chapter 2

This chapter is mostly filler, point A to point B kind of stuff, though it does sort of examine the group dynamic the quartet have going on. Oh, and I said last chapter that the American fellow would be returning, but he didn't make it into this chapter. Next chapter, though.

Also, there are some minor instances that could be rated PG-13. You've been warned.

* * *

**Chapter Six:**

**A horse, a Jedi, and James Woods dressed as a gorilla walk into a bar…**

"So…what are we going to do about this?" Ron asked.

"I dunno," Harry looked at Ginny, who shrugged and looked over at Hermione.

"Well…there're a few solutions," she observed. They were currently standing in a line, observing the dilemma before them.

There were only two beds, and four students ranging in age from thirteen to fifteen.

"I'm not sharing a bed with Ron," Harry said. "I've seen the way he sleeps; he would take up the whole thing himself. I'll kip on the floor."

"Harry, you're not sleeping on the floor," Hermione insisted. "We can ask the staff for a camp bed."

"That'll take forever," Harry said. "Ginny and Ron could share a bed."

Hermione blushed at the implications of this; she and Harry would inevitably share a bed as well. "That's not very fair to Ginny, though." She looked at the petite redhead, who shook her head.

"I'll be fine with it," she said. "I don't really have any room to complain. Anyway, I'm small, so it makes sense to pair me with someone who needs a lot of room."

"Is that okay with you, Ron?" Hermione glanced over at Ron, who nodded, but pointed at Ginny.

"There's going to be a pillow between us," he said. "I'm not waking up cuddling my sister."

……

"Harry?"

Harry opened his eyes, the small amount of moonlight filtering in through the curtains illuminating his view of Hermione's face. "Hm?"

"Um…never mind," Hermione shut her eyes and snuggled under the covers. Harry wasn't having that, though.

"Hermione, what is it?"

She bit her lip, and Harry quirked an eyebrow, waiting.

"Can I…cuddle with you?" the last few words spilled out, and even though he couldn't see it, Harry knew she was blushing. He grinned, scooting closer to her and wrapping an arm around her. Hermione gratefully buried herself in his chest, sighing contentedly and closing her eyes.

"Thank you," she said. "You make me feel safe."

"Glad to help," Harry said, tightening his grip around her. He marveled at how very small she felt in his arms. He languorously ran a hand up and down her back, making his way to her side, circling a thumb on her hips. She lifted her arm and place her hand over his, guiding it slowly to her stomach. His heart began hammering as he gently stroked her stomach, eliciting the occasional giggle as he tickled her.

"It's okay, Harry," she whispered, and Harry knew what she was talking about. He slowly slid his hand up, stopping for a moment when he reached the swell of her chest. "Touch me."

He needed no more incentive; his hand slid over her right breast, and he was struck by how very soft it was, but at the same time firm. He couldn't accurately describe it. He could hear as well as feel Hermione's every breath as she nuzzled his neck, noticing a sharp intake when he found a nub that poked through her shirt.

"Aaah," she sighed, arching her back. Emboldened by her reaction, he moved his other hand to her other breast, and he heard her breathing quicken. Daring, he slid one hand down to the hem of her shirt, twitching it and teasing her bare stomach with his hand.

"Eager tonight, are we?" she whispered, and Harry could hear laughter in her voice. He slid his hand up and over her breast, feeling the wonderfully smooth skin. He found her nipple and gave it a pinch, and she gasped. "Ow."

"Sorry," he muttered, and she kissed him on the nose.

"It's okay," she said. "I don't like having them pinched. Now we know."

"Does that make this a practical lesson?" he whispered, and he felt her shudder as she giggled.

"In what? Female anatomy?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'Naughty Bits and How to Use Them'." He was rewarded with another giggle and slid his other hand under her shirt, gently caressing her breasts.

"You're the only boy I would trust to do this," she whispered. "The only one I would trust to do anything."

"Anything?" he slid his right down to her belly button, edging his way downward. Hermione bit her lip, and he stopped, sensing her nervousness. "Or not yet?"

"I would like that," Hermione said, kissing him, "but…" she leaned close to his ear, "I don't know how much noise I would make, and we're not alone in here."

Harry felt his face heat up as he imagined the noises she would make, and Hermione giggled quietly.

"For now, let's just keep it to the safe areas, okay?"

"Yes, please, keep it safe and noise free," Ron's voice said, and they jumped, Hermione gasping. "I'd like to sleep without having nightmares."

"Ron!" Ginny whispered, and Hermione silently moaned, burying her head in Harry's chest in embarrassment. "You didn't have to say it like that."

"Let's just all get some sleep," Harry said finally, rolling his eyes at Ron, despite his friend being unable to see it. "We have an early day tomorrow."

……

The next morning, the phone rang at seven in the morning, as Hermione had requested at the front desk the previous evening. Harry was up immediately, accustomed to early mornings at the Dursleys. Hermione, being a natural early riser, wasn't far behind.

The two Weasleys, it seemed, weren't used to early wake-up calls.

"Ron! Ginny! If you're not out of bed in three minutes, I'm dousing you with water!" Hermione pulled a sweater over her head, pulling her hair out of the collar and turning to call in the direction of the bathroom, "Harry, are you almost out of the…shower…oh, my…."

She was momentarily stunned into silence as Harry stepped from the bathroom, wrapped only in a white towel, one hand keeping it wrapped around his waist, the other toweling his hair dry with another.

"I left my clothes out here," he said, dropping his hair towel to the floor. "They're on the bed…. Hermione?"

Hermione nodded her head slightly, her eyes still locked on Harry's torso, which was quite toned from Quidditch training, she guessed. She knew that they ran laps, but it was clear that upper body workouts were commonplace as well.

"Hermione?" Harry's voice was amused now, and she snapped from her reverie. He was standing right in front of her, still giving off a slight heat from the shower. She smelled…Old Spice? Harry used Old Spice? Where did he even get Old Spice?

"Hum?" she asked, and Harry chuckled, a smirk on his face.

"My clothes?" he asked. "I know you'd rather I walk around like this, but I'm afraid I'd get a little chilly."

Hermione grabbed the pile of clothes he'd left on the bed and handed them to him, blushing scarlet.

"Thank you, Hermione," Harry said, leaning in to her ear to add in a whisper, "And let me know if you ever want a repeat performance."

Hermione couldn't accurately describe the noise she made then, but she believed it fell somewhere between a moan, a gasp, and a whimper. Harry laughed and made his way back to the shower. Hermione was sorely tempted to follow, but she wanted them to make it to her house _today_.

……

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron?"

"What are those blinking lights hanging from the poles?"

"It's a stoplight, Ronald," Hermione explained. "When the light is green, the cars can go through the intersection. When it's yellow, they should slow down, and when it's red, they need to stop and let the others go through."

"Oh," Ron said, peering out the bus window. "And what's the blue thing on the side of the street?"

"It's a postbox," Hermione sighed. "Muggles put mail in it."

"How's an owl going to get in there?" Ron asked, and Hermione rolled her eyes at the ceiling of the bus while Harry tried not to laugh.

"There's our stop," he said as the bus slowed to a halt. "C'mon, everyone."

They disembarked, and Hermione led them toward her home, Ron and Ginny looking curiously around at everything they saw.

"Wicked!" he ran at a window display of a television. "Ginny, they've got moving pictures here, too!"

"That's a television, Ron," Ginny said. "Hermione told me about them once. It uses tubes of light to create a moving picture."

Ron looked at her as though she were mad. "I think she was having you on, Ginny. Hermione – "

"That's how they work, Ronald!" Hermione hadn't even stopped walking, and Harry gave up trying not to laugh, bursting out at the exasperated look on her face. Hermione fixed him with a glare, and he abruptly stopped, tightening his lips over the smile that was still threatening.

"Oh, you have to admit, it's pretty funny," he said, and Hermione rolled her eyes, continuing her walk. Harry fell into step beside her, taking her hand. "And you look cute when you're frustrated like that."

She pinked but said nothing, though her lips showed the barest hint of a smile.

It took fifteen minutes to reach the house, by the end of which Hermione was ready to throttle Ron, as he kept pointing at mailboxes, CD players muggles were carrying, hotdog carts, even a port-a-potty, and asking what their functions were. Being Hermione, of course, she patiently explained everything (albeit succinctly as possible) to Ron's satisfaction, though it seemed that only Harry could detect the dwindling patience in her voice.

Finally, they reached Hermione's house, and she pulled out a key.

"My parents are off at a dental conference," she said. "Come to think of it, I'll have to contact them as soon as we settle this out." She unlocked the door and pushed it open, stopping dead on the threshold. Concerned, Harry moved up behind her.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, sitting in a chair that had been placed in the large entryway. He smiled genially, standing. "I was worried."

* * *

Dun dun duuuuun! Tis the Dumblydore! And he wants Harry back. How's Harry gonna get out of this one? He's not nearly strong enough to challenge Dumby! Not yet, at least. Shorter chapter, but this seemed like a nice cutoff point. I may post the next chapter later tonight, depending on reviews.


	7. EP 2: Chapter 3

Okay, so this plus the previous chapter ought to be considered a two-parter. In this chapter, we see the group's reaction to Dumby's appearance, and they go shopping!

* * *

**Chapter Seven:**

**No, really, it's a sword. I use it to cut things when they make me mad.**

Hermione gasped, Harry whipped out his wand, Ron did the same, and Ginny made a noise of anger.

"Now, now," Dumbledore said calmly, gazing at them. "I'm sure we can discuss this peacefully."

"Discuss what?" Hermione growled. "How you tricked and manipulated Harry, tried to gain control over him because you think you need him to kill Voldemort? We trusted you."

"I understand your anger, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, seeming unperturbed by Hermione's accusations. "However, there is more to this than you know. If you'll lower your wands and join me at the Burrow, I'll be only too happy to explain the situation."

"We know the situation," Harry said. "You tried to trick us as part of some master plan, and you'll probably try it again once you get us back to the Burrow. No, thank you, we'll just pack some things and leave."

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this," he said regretfully. He produced his wand. "Don't worry. You won't remember this incident at all. You'll wake up in the Burrow, refreshed and ready to pursue your relationship with Miss Weasley."

"You bast – " Hermione began, but the ground shook beneath them, and a large pillar of rock erupted from the hardwood floor, right in front of Dumbledore. In a wisp of black smoke, a man appeared, and Harry was struck with déjà vu as the man reached out both arms.

"Grab on! Now!"

Harry hastened to obey, and despite their shock at the suddenness of his arrival, the other three did as well, and Harry's world went black again.

When he could see again, he was surrounded by bookshelves. Next to him, he heard Hermione gasp and a small part of him was amused. He had greater concerns, however. Turning to the newcomer (Leon Mason, he remembered), he spoke.

"Where are we?"

"Book Mania, a store in a mall about sixty miles from her house," he jerked his thumb at Hermione. "Great place to get lost among daytime shoppers. Shall we?"

He led the way out of the store (Harry had to drag Hermione past several of the shelves when she spotted an interesting book), and Ron gasped when they stepped into the main area of the mall.

"Bloody hell!"

They were on the top floor of a six-level mall, and the construct was absolutely massive and packed with shoppers. The crowd looked more like a churning sea of people to Hermione.

"Food court's on the third floor," Leon said, jerking his head to indicate that they should follow. "We can chat there."

……

"So," Leon was sipping a drink through a straw while the other four dug into their various meals, Harry and Hermione splitting an order of chicken wings, Ginny poking disinterestedly at chicken lo mien, and Ron eagerly scarfing a foot-long sub, "The old man strikes again, eh?"

"I always thought he was trustworthy," Hermione said, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "A little…out of it, but trustworthy."

Leon rolled his eyes. "Oh, you can trust Dumbledore," he said. "As long as your goals match exactly with his. Otherwise, he'll either ditch you or try to control you."

"You seem to know a lot about him," Hermione observed, watching his reaction. His expression turned dark.

"You may have noticed that I've got some unique abilities," he said, staring contemplatively at his drink. "It's a long story, but we'll just say that I didn't always know how to do the things I do. The old man found this out and decided that he wanted me around a lot more. Tried the same trick he tried with you," he nodded at Harry. "Made me think I was in love with one of his students so I would go to Hogwarts and he could try to figure out the methods used to give me this knowledge. He slipped up on the love potion one week in my seventh year, though, and I realized what he was doing. I broke it off with Dora and left, but not before I learned a couple of things about him. And about you," he nodded at Harry.

"Me?" Harry asked.

"Oh, he's got quite an interest in you," Leon said. "You're his favorite pawn."

Hermione squeezed Harry's hand comfortingly and didn't let go. Leon continued.

"From what I gathered, he'd expected Tom Riddle would come back someday, and he fully believed you would go into battle with him…and die."

Hermione and Ginny gasped, Ron shouted "Bloody hell!", but it was lost in the din of the mall goers. Harry was quiet, but he was gripping Hermione's hand painfully now.

"Why?" Hermione asked in shock. "Why would he just let him die like that?"

"Somehow, your death was supposed to cause Riddle to die as well," Leon said to Harry. "I'm not sure how, though. Either way, he seems to be under the impression that your death is the only way to defeat Riddle once and for all."

"Is it?" Harry asked, his voice tight and controlled. Hermione wrapped an arm around him and felt him trembling.

"I don't know," Leon said. "Likely not. It would have to mean he transferred a piece of his soul into you or something."

This didn't seem to console Harry too much, and Hermione hugged him. "What if…it's true?" she could barely stand to say the words, and Leon shrugged.

"Just because a piece of his soul is in you doesn't mean you're gonna give him a chance to come back," he said. "All you need to do is become more powerful than the fragment of his soul. Instead of him possessing you, you possess him."

"That would work?" Harry asked, and Leon nodded.

"That's how most people fight off possession," he said. "If you're stronger than the invading spirit, they can't do anything."

"How would I become stronger?" Harry asked, and Leon shrugged.

"That's up to you," he said. "Teach yourselves, find a teacher, take up weightlifting, whatever."

Hermione looked up at Harry. "What do we do, Harry?" she asked, and Ron and Ginny looked at him expectantly. Harry sighed.

"Could you give us a minute?" he asked Leon. "We need to decide what to do next."

Leon nodded, standing. "If you want, I've got room for four more at my school. We could blow right through the admissions process." He made his way toward an electronics shop, leaving the four of them alone.

"What are we doing, Harry?" Ron asked, and they all leaned in. Harry looked torn.

"We need to get as far away from Dumbledore as possible," he said. "If he finds us, he'll try and get us back on his side, and now we know that he's willing to use force."

"So, are we going to America?" Ginny asked, and Harry shrugged, looking at Hermione.

"Have you read anything about this school?" he smiled as if he knew the answer already. Hermione blushed.

"Yes, I have," she said matter-of-factly. "It's a public school in the southwest United States, and they have fairly high scores on the American standardized tests. They've been praised frequently for having some of the best faculty in the country. It's in a city, though, so we'll be around muggles a lot, and we'd need to find a place to stay, since there're no dorms. But on the plus side, there's no required uniform."

"And, if Dumbledore tries to come get us, Leon's nearby," Ginny said, looking in the direction of the principal, who was bobbing his head as he previewed a CD.

"What do you make of him, anyway?" Harry asked, also looking at their rescuer.

"He seems honest enough," Hermione said. "He's told us more than Dumbledore ever would. And he came across an ocean just to help us."

"Did you notice he has a sword?" Ron asked. "No one seems to care, either."

"I think he's kind of cute," Ginny observed, and they all turned to her. She shrugged defensively. "Well, he is."

"Okay, back on topic," Harry said, rolling his eyes, though he smiled slightly, "do we trust him?"

"Sure," Ron said.

"I do," Ginny said.

"For now," Hermione said.

"Then we'll go to this American school," Harry said. "But what do we do once we're there?"

"Learn things?" Ron suggested, and Harry placed a hand to his forehead.

"Bigger picture, Ron," he said. "What about Voldemort? I'm not happy with Dumbledore, but that doesn't mean others should suffer."

Hermione smiled and hugged Harry again; she loved that he always thought of others, even in a situation like this one. "Well, we should train up a bit before we go charging into battle. If we even fought a Death Eater at this point, we probably wouldn't fare too well."

"And then we help," Harry said. They all nodded. "So…we're in this together."

"Of course," Hermione said. "You'd probably lose your mind without me."

"No way I'm letting you have all the fun," Ron said, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

"And I'll help however I can," Ginny said, smiling at them.

Together, the four of them stood, making their way to the electronics store where they found Leon purchasing a stack of CDs…or attempting to.

"Sir, we can't accept American money," the clerk was saying as they approached. "That's forty pounds even."

"And somehow an American hundred doesn't add up to that?" Leon asked incredulously. "You take this, take it to the bank and get it exchanged, keep the change and reimburse your store, and I walk out of this store musically satiated. Everyone wins."

"I could lose my job, sir," the clerk countered. "Unless you have forty pounds, I can't do anything."

"Mr. Mason?" Hermione asked tentatively, and Leon turned around. "Um, we've come to a decision?"

Leon glanced over his shoulder at the clerk. "You are a shame to music store clerks everywhere," he said, and the clerk rolled her eyes. They all exited the store, Leon stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"We can enroll in your school, no problem?" Harry asked, and Leon nodded.

"I'll make it happen," he said.

"And you'll keep us in the loop as to what Voldemort's doing?" Harry asked.

"Everything we find out," Leon nodded. Harry grinned.

"And you'll train us to fight Voldemort?" he asked.

"Denson has the best Magical Self Defense program," he said, "and we have a variety of extracurriculars that teach offensive spells."

"And will _you_ teach us anything?" Harry asked. "You personally?"

"You asking for special treatment, Boy-Who-Lived?" Leon smirked at him, and Harry glared back. "Prove to me you can learn the basics, _then_ I might teach you some of the stuff I know."

"I also have a few concerns," Hermione spoke up. They stopped next to an appliance store, and Ron and Ginny eagerly stared at the televisions.

"Let's hear 'em," Leon said, and Hermione took a breath.

"My mum and dad," she said. "I'm afraid Dumbledore might try to use them to get to us."

"Wouldn't put it past him," Leon muttered darkly. "They can come to America, if you want."

"Well, they have a dental practice," Hermione said pleadingly, "and I know they wouldn't want to leave it behind. All of their patients and friends…."

"I could see to it that they're set up with a practice near the school, but I only have so much influence in the UK," he said, "especially against Dumbledore."

Hermione nodded. Her mum and dad wouldn't be easy to convince, but the promise of jobs in America would probably help acclimate the change. "I'll have to write them."

"Any other loose ends to tie up?" Leon asked the four of them. They all shook their heads, and he grinned. "All right. This way."

He led them down a back hallway that led to the bathrooms. There was only one person in the hall, a tall dark-skinned woman talking on the phone in fast French. Leon reached into his pocket and produced a large figurine of an American superhero that Hermione vaguely recognized from the television. He tapped it with his wand with a muttered, "_Portus_." Holding it out, he waited for them all to put their hands on it.

"Okay, and three…two…one."

Hermione felt the vaguely familiar jerking sensation behind her navel, and the mall around her dissolved into a blur of colors. They were on their way to their new lives.

* * *

So, the foursome heads off to America to learn things, and Leon once again displays his skills in guerilla extraction techniques. Next chapter, I kick the rating up to M, and a certain pair of Marauders make an appearance.


	8. EP 2: Chapter 4

OMG LIEK SO LONG SINCE LAST UPDAET!!11one!

Ahem. Yeah, I had a bout of writer's block, which completely reversed itself when I decided to rewrite this chapter, so if you want to complain about the wait, know that I spent a painstaking few days making this story better than it would have been otherwise...and playing SPORE. That game is fun.

Anyway, this chapter takes place about a week after the last one. The group has made it to America, and they've settled down a little bit. In this chapter, Ginny gets a moment to make her peace with the situation with Harry and Hermione, and our pair of Marauders finally makes an appearance.

* * *

**Chapter Eight:**

**Somehow, when you say "It'll be okay", I don't feel any better.**

He liked the warmth. It made him feel safe. That was one good thing about living in Arizona (a small city called Dunlap, to be precise): it always seemed to be warm. Harry stood there in a brand new pair of shorts and a tight T-shirt Hermione had picked out for him, leaning on the balcony of his rather sizable apartment. Above him, he could hear the sounds of Hermione and her parents cheerily preparing dinner, undoubtedly some sort of healthy dinner that would still manage to taste delicious. It had become habit, really. He would listen to the sounds of the Grangers making dinner, and when the noise died, a knock on the door would signal their invitation to join them. Every night had been the same for the past week.

It felt nice to Harry to fall into this routine, this muggle routine. For the past fourteen years, it had been a simple division; his muggle life had been one of suffering and darkness, and magic had been his one escape. Now, he didn't have to escape to anywhere, because the muggle world and the magical had somehow melded into one. Seeming as a testament to this, Ron gave a howl of laughter as he watched some comedy routine on television.

Following their arrival in Dunlap, Arizona, Leon had immediately gone to collect Hermione's parents, who took a little convincing, but after Hermione had begged that they join the gang for their own safety, they relented and agreed to set up a practice in Arizona, though a small one that wouldn't attract attention. They had moved into a small two bedroom apartment right above Harry's in a building not far from Denson Academy of Magic. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were currently living in a three-bedroom below them. It was strange, being here, technically on the run, but safer than he'd ever felt before.

"Harry?" he recognized Ginny's voice and turned as the redhead joined him on the balcony, smiling at him.

"Hey, Gin," he said. "Dinner's almost ready," he grinned upward, where Hermione could be seen reprimanding her father for trying to sneak a bite of dinner early. Ginny giggled.

"They seem to be adjusting nicely," she said, and Harry nodded.

"They've got each other," he said. "That's all they need. And you and Ron have each other, even if…."

"My mother did some terrible things," Ginny said, sounding detached as she spoke. "She…. We had to get away. I've already written Angelina Johnson and had her send a message on to Fred and George about it. They're warned, if nothing else."

"I'm sorry – "

"Don't you dare apologize," Ginny cut across him. "It was Dumbledore and my mum. And me, a little. I should've known something was going on, but I was blinded by…my feelings."

"Ginny, I'm sor – "

"I just told you not to apologize," she was stern, but she smiled as she spoke. "Harry, you told me not to blame myself. You shouldn't blame yourself either. I was a girl with a crush. I fell for Harry Potter and couldn't get over the celebrity. I still can't. Even now, I can't believe I'm talking to you, shacking up with you, even. Hermione…she sees past that."

"She does," Harry grinned. It was part of what he liked about her so much. She wasn't star struck every time she saw him. Ginny smiled at his obvious adoration.

"When I first saw you two together, you lying in her lap," she continued, "I was so jealous of her. I would have given everything I had just to have you lying in _my_ lap, even talking to me, but…I think I was also jealous that she wasn't making a huge deal out of it. She wasn't giggling about having Harry Potter so close to her. She was just Hermione with her boyfriend, Harry. I wanted that, but Mum always said 'Ginny, one day you'll grow up and marry _Harry Potter_, and you'll be rich and famous just like him.' Every time you were mentioned, she'd give me that line, tell me what a perfect match we were, how much I looked like your mum, and you looked your dad, so we were meant to be. We would be the James and Lily of our time. I'd ask her 'Mum, aren't there other boys than Harry Potter?' and she'd tell me 'But dear, you needn't worry. He'll fall for you and only you.' She wouldn't hear of me dating anyone else. When you rescued me from…that awful place," she shuddered, "it was like all of her dreams were coming true. You were the knight in shining armor, and I was the damsel in distress. She'd always brag to her friends 'Harry Potter saved my daughter's life!' like it was _her_ accomplishment."

She was gripping the balcony railing now, her face set.

"Every time, it was Harry _Potter_. Never Harry, the nice boy with the dorky glasses," she giggled, and Harry rolled his eyes, "or Harry with the soft voice, or Harry, who's a little too skinny and short for his age," she laughed now, and Harry nudged her playfully. "It was always Harry _Potter_, with the scar, who looks just like his dad, but has his mum's eyes." She looked up at him. "If things had been different," she said, barely above a whisper, "if we'd met just as Ginny and Harry, maybe on the platform, waiting for the train, would things have been different?"

Harry nodded. "Definitely," he said. "We would have been great friends."

She smiled wryly. "Friends," she said, stepping away from the balcony. "I'll take that." She held out her hand to him. "Hello. I'm Ginny Weasley. Nice to meet you."

Harry smiled, taking her hand and shaking it. "Harry," he said, forgoing his surname. "Pleasure's all mine."

"I think we'll be great friends, Harry," she said as a knock sounded at the door.

"Dinner, everyone!" Hermione's voice called. Ron hastened to turn of the television and ran for the door. He'd grown quite fond of Mrs. Granger's cooking. Harry and Ginny followed, Harry taking Hermione's hand when they reached the hallway. She looked questioningly between the two of them, and Harry smiled, kissing her on the nose.

"Just a little closure," he muttered in her ear, and Hermione nodded, seeming to understand instantly.

……

"So, what did you all do today?" Dan Granger asked the children gathered around the table, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

"We went shopping," Hermione said, smiling at Harry. "Harry got a whole new wardrobe. Ron and Ginny got some muggle clothes for school."

"It's nice to have new clothes instead of Dudley's old hand-me-downs," Harry said with a smile. "Now I don't feel like I'm wearing a tent."

Hermione's mother, Emma Granger, smiled. "Hermione, did you buy the new swimsuit you were – "

"Mum," Hermione said sharply, and Ginny grinned wickedly.

"Actually, Mrs. Granger, she did," she said. "It was a tiny little thing, too. I was amazed."

Hermione blushed deep red as Emma laughed, patting her daughter on the shoulder.

"I'm sure Harry will love it," she said, and Hermione looked at Harry fearfully. He only smiled, his own face slightly pink.

"How tiny?" he asked, and the table erupted in laughter. Even Hermione giggled reluctantly and kissed him on the cheek.

"You'll see," she promised, and Harry shivered, his head filled with imaginings in which Hermione lay on the beach in a skimpy little bikini.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, and Dan stood, crossing the room and opening it. On the threshold stood Leon Mason.

"Mr. Mason," Dan said cordially. "Come in, we were just having meatloaf. Care to join us?"

"Actually, I've got dinner plans already," Leon said, "but I'll take a rain check. And, please, call me Leon."

"Well, what can we do for you, Leon?" Dan asked, and Leon held out a stack of papers.

"Harry, you might find these interesting," he said, and Harry stood, walking over and accepting the proffered documents.

"I went by Gringotts like you asked, and I drained your vault," he said. "I started you an account at Hedman Federal, a bank nearby. They don't ask questions, and they keep their clients activities secret, so the old man won't be able to find you from your bank account. I also managed to get records of every property currently in your name," he held up a rather thick file. "Congrats, you're a real estate tycoon."

Harry stared at the file, shocked. He owned all that? "How much is there?"

"Enough for you to actually misplace a house of you get careless," Leon said, handing the file to Harry, who skimmed through some pages. He owned a beach house off the coast of France! He'd have to take Hermione there someday.

"But…how come I've never heard of any of this?" Harry asked, looking up at Leon, who shrugged.

"The old man probably never saw any reason to tell you," he said. "He probably figured you'd run away to one of these houses if your relatives got to be too much." Leon had been clued in minimally as to Harry's former home life.

"Can we go to one of these now?" Hermione asked from near Harry's shoulder as she observed the documents as well. "I rather like the sound of this lakeside cottage in Italy."

"Unfortunately, someone froze Harry's assets until his seventeenth birthday," Leon said darkly. "Three guesses who."

"Dumbledore," Harry muttered, and Leon nodded. Harry was really starting to hate his former mentor. "Well, we just wait until I'm seventeen, right?"

"Unless you want to hire a team of lawyers to assert control over properties that are technically yours," Leon said with a shrug. "That's a long and involved process, though. The money in your vault, with exchange rates and monthly interest, should be plenty to cover rent, school supplies, and about for hundred beachside condominiums."

Ginny laughed, and Harry saw Hermione roll her eyes. She reached over his shoulder and pointed at an item on Harry's list of properties.

"Harry, look," she said. "'Upon turning the legal age of adulthood, seventeen (17) years of age, beneficiary shall also receive the Potter family vault contents in their entirety, including: the sum of 14,525,709,755 galleons, nine sickles, and twenty-two knuts; one gold, diamond encrusted ring set with the Potter family crest; one silver-tipped steel sword….' It just goes on and on! And look at this number! It keeps rising!"

"The parchment's enchanted to reflect the exact amount in the vault," Leon said. "With interest rates and the fact that he's got more than most electronics companies, he's probably increasing in value right now."

"Bloody hell!" Ron said, staring at the parchment. "Harry, you're…."

"Well, the Potters are one of the oldest wizard families around," Ginny said faintly, staring at the number. "I reckon they've built up a lot of money over the years." She looked over at Leon, who had snagged a dinner roll and was now taking a bite. "And he can't get this right now?"

"Well, I'm no British magical law expert," he said, swallowing his bite of food, "but I seem to recall a marriage clause. If the beneficiary enters into a legal marriage, he is officially recognized as an adult, or something, and is entitled to all of that," he gestured at the file, still clutched in Harry's now limp hand. At the mention of the word "marriage", he'd immediately met eyes with Hermione, who was red in the face. Her expression spoke volumes.

_I'm not ready for _that_ yet, _she smiled.

_Me neither_, Harry said with a slight nod.

_Someday?_ she cocker her head.

He smiled back. _Someday._

"We'll wait," Leon agreed, seeming to have watched this conversation play out. "Until then, it's safe and out of anyone's reach. Also, I picked up copy of the _Daily Prophet_. You didn't make the front page, but I haven't checked the rest of the paper."

He held up the paper, and Harry gasped, ripping it from his hand.

_**Sirius Black Exonerated**_

_**Notorious Mass-Murderer Apparently Not So**_

_By Killian Michaels_

_Sirius Black undoubtedly breathes a sigh of relief this morning, which is his first as a free man in fourteen years. In the face of insurmountable evidence of his freedom, provided by none other than Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot, the Ministry cleared of all thirteen murder charges._

_This announcement has been received with mixed results by the wizard public._

"_I always figured he was innocent," says a wizard who wishes to remain anonymous. "I heard he was James and Lily Potter's best friend. He wouldn't go around killing people."_

"_I still don't like him," says another witch. "If he wasn't a nutter before, he probably is now after spending all that time in Azkaban."_

"_He's mad," says renowned Hogwarts Potions Master, Severus Snape, who attended Hogwarts with Black, "but he's not powerful enough to kill thirteen people with one curse."_

_Whatever the case, Black is now a free man. The first thing on his agenda?_

"_I'm getting a new wand," Black says, grinning as he exits the Ministry of Magic earlier this morning._

"He's free?" Harry asked disbelievingly. "Just like that? Why wouldn't Dumbledore provide this evidence sooner?"

"What do you mean?" Leon asked, and Dan pulled a chair for him. They were obviously going to be a while.

Harry launched into an explanation of Sirius's innocence, their adventure with Lupin, and Pettigrew's betrayal of his parents. By the end, Leon's eyes were wide, and he was grinning.

"Never a dull moment with you, eh, Potter?"

"I'd love a dull moment once in a while," Harry said with a wry smile, faking a wistful voice. "I've heard they're uneventful. Is it true?"

He was rewarded with a roll of his eyes from Leon, but the principal's retort was cut off by a screech. They all looked towards the open sliding glass door as a large tawny owl swooped through, dropping a letter on Ron's momentarily clean plate before arcing and shooting back out the door. Ron automatically reached to pick up the envelope, but Leon stopped him with a hand his wrist.

"Wait a sec," he said. "He might have made it into a portkey or put a compulsion charm on it to make you want to go back home. Allow me."

He reached out and picked up the envelope, muttering a few words while gripping the hilt of his sword. Harry briefly wondered if his sword was sort of a substitute wand. He seemed to always grab the hilt when casting a spell. The parchment glowed briefly, but it died down in seconds.

"Hm," Leon said, dropping it back to the table. "It's safe."

Ron picked it up and handed the letter to Harry, who read it, Hermione peeking over his shoulder.

_Harry,_

_If you haven't read the _Prophet_ yet, I'm free! A free man! Dumbledore found evidence of my innocence recently and submitted it to the Ministry. They were a lot more lenient now that Voldemort's back and they need Dumbledore's protection, so they exonerated me of all charges!_

_I want to speak to you. Remus and I will be at the Leaky Cauldron at four pm tomorrow. We can talk about you coming to live with me._

_Sirius_

"Well, it's obviously a trap," Leon said, reading the letter when they were done with it. "He's using Black as bait, and he'll probably try to incapacitate you once he has you in his sights."

"But Sirius is free," Harry said, staring at the letter. He yearned to just run off to the Leaky Cauldron and see Sirius, speak to him in public as a free man at last. However, a voice in the back of his head (that voice that sounded so much like Hermione as of late that it was amusing) told him that that was exactly what Dumbledore would be expecting.

"Still," he said out loud, "we can use this. Leon, you could go under my invisibility cloak and get them out of there just like you did us."

"I dunno if we could pull that two times," Leon said. "The old man will be expecting me to try something. Even if I hide under your cloak, he would still be able to detect an extra person, and he'd probably just go for an all-out fight."

They sat in silence for a moment, Harry trying to come up with something. How would you outsmart Dumbledore, the supposed smartest wizard in the world?

"Wait," he said, after a moment, looking at Leon. "Dumbledore would be expecting _you _to try something. But what about _me_?"

Leon glanced down at him. "You got a plan?"

Harry nodded. "I think so."

……

The black-haired boy entered the Leaky Cauldron, ignoring the stares and mutterings around him, some going so far as to blatantly point at the scar on his forehead. One hand stuffed into a pocket in his zip-up sweater, he walked over to a table in the far corner, where two men were waiting for him.

One man was gaunt, his clothes hanging loosely around him, but a grin stretched across his features as he watched the boy approach him.

"Harry." Sirius Black stood and hugged his godson, who eagerly hugged him back.

"It's great to see you, Sirius," he said. "It's been…a strange few weeks."

"Yes, we heard you disappeared for a while," the other man said. He was skinny as well, though not the near-skeleton Sirius was, and dressed in shabby, secondhand clothing. Remus Lupin was looking worse for wear, but he was also smiling at the boy he thought of as a favorite nephew. "You shouldn't run off, Harry. These are dangerous times. You of all people should know that."

"I had to, Professor," Harry said. "Dumbledore was trying to manipulate me, manipulate all of us. He tried to make me think I was in love with Ginny."

The two looked at him in confusion. "Why would Dumbledore do that?"

Several things happened in rapid succession. Harry stood and pulled his hand from his pocket, brandishing a long, thin sword, which he swept upward to block an Imperius Curse covertly cast at him by a cloaked man in the corner, then turned and grabbed the two men by the shoulders, and the three of them disappeared in a wisp of smoke. In the corner, the cloaked man quickly stood and disapparated, leaving the Leaky Cauldron in a chaotic panic.

……

Miles away, three figures suddenly appeared in a cluster of trees near a playground in a park.

"Harry?" Sirius asked, his wand out and pointing around. He quickly stowed it when he saw the muggles around them. "What just happened?"

"Just a sec," Harry said, and they wore twin puzzled expressions at his sudden American accent. The expressions only grew more confused as Harry gripped the sword now sheathed at his hip and placed the other hand on each of their foreheads in turn. "Yep, compulsion charms on the both of you. You were modified to get Harry alone and stall him until the old man could cast an Imperius Curse on him and make him go back to the Weasley place. _Finite_," he added, and the two blinked as though something amazing had just been revealed to them, and they looked down at "Harry".

"You're…not Harry?" Remus asked, and the Harry lookalike smirked, giving a thumbs-up.

"Right in one," he said. "Leonidas Emmanuel Mason, humbly at your service. Now, would you like to see Harry?" he held out a muggle action figure.

……

Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's office of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore was angry. He hadn't anticipated Polyjuice Potion. He'd simply assumed that Harry would have been glad to see his godfather and rushed in without thinking, as usual. In hindsight, he really should have foreseen the scenario that had just played out, but hindsight wouldn't do him any good now.

He'd run out of options. Subterfuge wouldn't work anymore. All that was left was to simply search for Harry, bring him back by force. If he was with the Mason boy, then he had to be in America, but no one knew exactly where Denson Academy was. There were very powerful wards on it, nigh on par with Hogwarts.

His search would have to be discreet. If anyone knew that Harry had left him, there would be a media frenzy, and his credibility would be dashed beyond repair. No, he needed a single agent, one who could reason with Harry, but confront him if need be.

"Oho," Dumbledore chuckled to himself, an idea occurring to him. He walked over to the fireplace, casting a quick "_Incendio_" to light it, then grabbed a handful of floo powder and tossed it at the flames.

"Nymphadora Tonks!" he said, sticking his head in the fireplace

* * *

Hm, Dumby's planning something. But what? Well, I'm not telling you. Next chapter, Harry attends his first day at Denson Academy of Magic.

Also, as of now in the story, it is Spring Break, so the group has had time to settle down. Next chapter will begin a week from this one, on the first day back from break.

Leon's getting a lot of practice at escape maneuvers, isn't he? We find out a little more about him next chapter as well.


	9. EP 2: Chapter 5

Following this chapter, the author will be taking a short break to gather material, meaning I usually stay a few chapters ahead and want to catch myself up.

In this chapter, the foursome attends their first day at Denson Academy and find that it's far different from Hogwarts.

* * *

**Chapter Nine:**

**I would've gotten away with it, if it weren't for you kids and your goat.**

"This is the school?" Ron asked.

"It looks so…modern," Hermione observed.

"And muggle," Harry said. "It looks a little like the elementary school I went to before Hogwarts…only a lot bigger."

"It's definitely not Hogwarts," Ginny agreed.

"Hogwarts?" a voice said behind them, and they all turned to see two kids walking by them. One had longish blonde hair streaked with blue, the other short mousy brown hair. They slowed, and the mousy-haired boy spoke. "You four went to Hogwarts?"

They all nodded, and the blond-blue boy grinned.

"I smell a culture shock," he said in a singsong voice. "We had to study Hogwarts for a project last year. Place is a museum."

They continued on, and the foursome followed, Hermione excitedly leading Harry by the hand. Leon had mentioned that Denson was quite different from Hogwarts yesterday. If the building itself was any indication, he was right.

The building was a two-story construct, and an enormous one at that, that greatly resembled a muggle high school. There was a rather large yard around the entire school, and a small quad out front with a fountain in the center. Stationed around the fountain were numerous stone benches, which were currently occupied by a variety of students.

The entire school was surrounded by a chain link fence that, to Hermione at least, looked like it wouldn't keep out most small rodents, let alone intruders. According to what she'd read up on the school, though, it was extremely fortified with the latest magical wards and even used state-of-the-art signal jammers to prevent against muggle listening devices.

"We need to go to the administration office first," Harry said, and Hermione glanced over at his profile. He was almost unrecognizable at this point; Leon had suggested that he disguise himself so as not to draw attention and bring Dumbledore down upon them. Harry had agreed, and Leon had introduced them to Hector, the school's nurse and aspiring beautician, who had surveyed Harry calculatingly for several minutes before pronouncing him "not a lost cause". An hour later, Harry's hair was still as unmanageable as ever (a fact Hermione was happy about, as she found it rather adorable), though it was now a dark shade of blonde similar to Luna Lovegood's had been and long enough that it hung to just below his ears. Some "Hollywood magic" had made quick work of Harry's scar, and Leon had even fashioned Harry better frames for his glasses, as he had long since outgrown the same ones he'd worn since he was a boy; he now had oval-shaped rimless frames that Hermione thought really brought out his green eyes. In the end, he now only resembled Harry Potter if you knew it had been him.

They entered the administration office to find a rather round woman sitting behind a long counter that divided the room in half. She was currently yelling at someone on a phone, though she soon slammed it down and looked up at them. A plaque on the counter read _Charlotte Miller_.

"Hello," Hermione said politely. "We're transfers from – "

"Ah, the Hogwarts transfers," she muttered. "Mr. Mason's told me about you. Your schedules, locker assignments, and emergency medical forms," she handed them each a stack of papers. "Fill out the forms and return them to me tomorrow."

They exited the office and immediately compared their schedules. Hermione was ecstatic; she and Harry shared nearly every class! Ron, unfortunately, couldn't join them, as he'd been put in the Basic level classes, while Hermione and Harry were in the Advanced. Ginny was in the Intermediate level courses, though a grade below them.

"Hey, Gin," Ron pointed out, "we have a study period together after class, and you, too, Harry."

"Not Hermione," Harry said, grinning at Hermione, and her heart skipped; she hadn't seen him smile like that in months. Those smiles should be outlawed, they were so dashing. "You haven't got a single study period. Wanted to cram in as many classes as possible?"

She felt herself blush. "Well…yes, actually."

Harry kissed her on the cheek. "Some things never change."

……

Hermione rather liked Denson Academy. It took a distinctly muggle approach to education, though at the same time, there was a definite magic influence about the place. Students wore muggle-style clothing with emblems for bands like The Warlocks, Rusted Cauldron, and Hermione's favorite, Lightning Scar. The dress code policy seemed to be quite lax as well; several students had the wildest hair colors. One even had ghostly green hair that she swore glowed in the dark. Some students had ripped and torn clothing, and one wore muggle combat boots. None were showing too much skin, though, which was probably where the line was drawn. The place had a much more relaxed feel overall, and there wasn't a poltergeist in sight.

It seemed magical teachers, though, were required to be eccentric, a rule that still applied overseas. Hermione's first period (Advanced Magical Defense) instructor, Mr. Waters, a sandy-blonde man with close-cropped hair, lay asleep in his chair at the time Hermione and Harry entered the classroom, which was apparently a common occurrence, as none of the other students seemed inclined to wake him. Five minutes into the class, he stirred and woke, stretching with a yawn. After a brief introduction of the two new students (Hermione Granger and Harry "Lewis"), he carried on with business as usual. For all his laziness, he was an quite an able teacher.

Second period, Political Science, was the first class Hermione had without Harry and was taught by a young Latino witch who introduced herself as Gabriella Delarosa. Hermione noted that she was rather beautiful, and it seemed that she wasn't the only one; nearly every male in the class seemed quite taken with her. She later pointed this out to Harry as they passed her in the hallway, who only shrugged.

"She's not bad looking," was all he said. "I prefer brunettes, though," he added with a wink, which earned a hug from Hermione.

Third period, Advanced Transfiguration, was Hermione's favorite, and was taught by a rather fetching Asian witch named Emily Chen who, it seemed, was also the Assistant Principal. It seemed that she got on quite well with Mr. Mason, who popped up halfway through class.

"Not bad, Hermione," Ms. Chen said, walking by Hermione's desk, observing the teapot which had been a tortoise moments ago. "You'll go far in this class. Harry," she nodded at Harry, whose teapot's spout withdrew into the rest of the pot at her approach. She smiled. "Almost there."

As she walked away, Hermione smirked at Harry. "Looks like your teapot's frightened of the teacher."

"Hey, I was distracted," he winked at her, and Hermione blushed, her heart hammering. If Harry kept this up, she wouldn't be able to walk, let alone concentrate.

Moments later, a familiar wisp of black smoke appeared at the head of the class, announcing the arrival of Mr. Mason, who crept up behind Ms. Chen.

"Mr. Walker, you're overextending your upswing," the teacher said as Mr. Mason drew closer. "Try shorter – AH!"

She screamed as Mr. Mason grabbed her hips, jerking away. She turned and swatted him on the chest.

"Leo – Mr. Mason!" she said as the class laughed. "How am I supposed to teach with you showing up every two days and harassing me!?"

"Aw, but it's so fun to watch you blush," Mr. Mason replied, drawing in close to Ms. Chen, who turned pink as their noses almost touched. "And you know you love it when I come say hi," he said softly, his mouth less than an inch from hers. He drew away with a devilish grin, and Ms. Chen followed, leaning forward and stumbling slightly. She heaved an exasperated sigh, watching him exit the classroom. "Just wanted to say hi, so hi! Bye!"

With that, he left, and their teacher blinked a few times.

"Um…so…the uh…down – upswing," she turned to face the student she had been coaching. "Shorter movements, Walker."

She was like that for the rest of the class, drifting around in a daze, muttering about "that man". According to a blue-haired girl name Valerie, who sat behind Hermione, there was a lot of "unresolved sexual tension" between the two faculty members.

Mr. Hanson, a tall, African-American man with a slight southern drawl and large gray beard, taught their fourth period Charms class. He was a friendly, encouraging man, and Hermione felt completely at ease in his class. According to Valerie (who was in quite a few of Hermione and Harry's classes), he taught Mr. Mason a lot of combat magic and was once in the Magic Special Forces of the United States.

They met up with Ron and Ginny at lunch. Ginny excitedly regaled them with tales of her Mundane Culture class.

"It's so much more detailed than Hogwarts Muggle Studies was," she said, "and a lot more up to date. They didn't even _mention_ computers at Hogwarts, and now we get to _use_ them!"

"I have noticed that Denson uses a lot more muggle inventions than Hogwarts," Hermione mused. "The PA system, for one. It's a lot more convenient than sending students with messages to other classes. And they have televisions, computer filing systems in the school library…."

"That's because a bulk of the original magic-users in America were muggle-born," a new voice said, and the blue-haired Valerie sat next to them, moving a lock of her cerulean hair behind her ear. "Hello again."

"Ron, Ginny, this is Valerie…" Hermione realized that she didn't know Valerie's last name.

"Canner," Valerie said, nodding at the redheads. "Valerie Canner."

"Valerie, this is Ron and Ginny Weasley," Hermione gestured at the two of them. "They live with Harry."

"Hello," Ginny smiled at Valerie, and Ron nodded, taking a bite of his cheeseburger. He'd never even heard of the muggle concoction, but he had taken a liking to them.

"What were you saying about magic-users?" Hermione asked, and Valerie took a sip of her drink.

"Back when the Unites States was first being colonized, Britain was experiencing a massive increase in the occurrences of mundane-born magic-users."

"Mundane-born?" Hermione asked. Valerie nodded.

"What you call muggle-borns," she said. "Mundane sounds so much nicer, doesn't it?"

Hermione nodded, and Valerie continued.

"Anyway, the British purebloods were less than accommodating," she said. "They felt that magic should be kept in the magic families and that the mundanes were either stealing the magic or seducing the purebloods and having their children. After Columbus sailed the ocean blue, mundane-borns started fleeing across the ocean and setting up communities over here. Since they had muggle upbringings, they started using their magic to improve muggle inventions, making automatic cotton gins, self-churning butter churns, all kinds of things."

"So America was as much an escape for magic-users as it was for mug—mundanes," Hermione said, and Valerie nodded.

"There are no prominent pureblood families in America," she said. "There're barely any half-bloods, and they're descendents of mundane sympathizers, which were no better than mundane-borns."

"How come we've never heard about this?" Ginny asked incredulously. "Something that big would show up in some sort of history book."

"Think about it, Ginny," Hermione said. "Would you want your culture remembered for its ignorance and persecution of people they considered lesser beings? They probably covered it up."

Ginny nodded in understanding, then turned to Ron. "Hey, that means we're probably the only two purebloods in this school," she said, and Ron chuckled, as did Harry.

"Somehow, I don't think that'll get you too far," Harry said.

"Valerie," Hermione said, and the blue-haired girl perked up, "do you anything about Mr. Mason?"

Valerie set her fork down thoughtfully, biting her lip. "Not a lot," she said. "He's powerful, I know that much. No one knows quite how powerful he really is, though."

"Why not?" Ginny asked.

"He tends to use fighting as a last resort," Valerie said. "He prefers resolving conflicts through words."

"Then why does he carry a sword?" Ron asked. Valerie shrugged.

"No idea," she said. "I think it's his wand, though. Whenever he casts a spell, he always grabs the handle."

Hermione nodded; she'd noticed this as well, though it was odd that Mr. Mason didn't use a wand. She had newfound respect for the fact that he didn't enjoy fighting, though. One last question was still niggling at her mind.

"What kind of apparation technique is it that he uses?" she asked. "I've never seen someone give of smoke when they apparate."

"Oh, it's not apparation," Valerie said. "I've asked him, too. He just says it's 'old magic'."

The bell rang then, and they all stood to empty their trays and head off to the fifth period.

Advanced Chemistry was Denson Academy's answer to Potions, it seemed. It appeared to incorporate some elements of Herbology, as there was a lot of study of plants and other ingredients. The room was set up like a basic chemistry classroom, with two lab partners to a table, but instead of Bunsen burners and phials, there was a stainless steal cauldron on the table. Harry and Hermione were lab partners and took the remaining empty table. Harry jokingly made the comment that lab partners usually ended up falling for each other by the end of the year, and Hermione countered that they had that covered already, kissing him on the cheek when the teacher, Mrs. Ottomas (a kind old dear), wasn't looking.

Sixth period was the second class that Hermione didn't have with Harry, as he had Study Hall with Ron and Ginny, while she went to World History, which taught magical and mundane historical events worldwide. The teacher, Mr. Venner, was so very old-looking that he had probably witnessed most of the events that he was teaching. Despite his age, he was an active old man and would scold any student who didn't pay attention in class. He immediately took a liking to Hermione, who listened with rapt attention as he described a giant uprising in northern Canada that had occurred in 1813. After class, Hermione asked him about Valerie's story of the mundane persecution in Britain, and he validated every point of her story, adding that many mundane-borns still leave the Britain because of lack of job opportunities. Hermione couldn't believe she hadn't heard of this before.

Seventh period was Runes, taught by Mr. Saunders, and it was so close to the Ancient Runes class offered at Hogwarts that Hermione immediately found herself at an advantage. Harry took to the class rather well for having never studied it, but Hermione had to help with a few basic translations.

The final class of the day for the couple was a class called Arithmancy and Numerology, which was also quite close to the Hogwarts counterpart, Arithmancy. Harry found this class quite easy, as it involved numbers, a subject he was surprisingly good at. The teacher, Ms. Puhl, told them that children raised in the mundane world often excelled, as they were the most educated at math.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the final bell rang, and the quartet met at the front gate to grab the bus home. Exhausted but pleased with their classes, they sat in silence on the way home, Harry dozing on Hermione's shoulder.

……

"Do you understand your mission?" Dumbledore asked the woman before him. Nymphadora Tonks nodded, her shoulder-length pink hair swaying and turning obsidian black as her eyes colored green.

"Absolutely," she said, smiling at the picture she held in her hand. "Find Harry Potter, free him from the Confundus Charm my lovely ex has him under, and bring him and his friends home."

"And when you ask about him?"

"I'm his older sister who's worried about her baby brother who ran off with a schoolmate, convinced they were in love," she said, pocketing the picture.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said. "Now, Mason is a powerful magician, so Harry may take some convincing. Use whatever means necessary to bring him back."

"Can do," the witch said, turning and striding to the fireplace. As she threw some floo powder in, Dumbledore spoke.

"Oh, and Miss Tonks," he said, and she turned. "Do be careful."

With a smile, Nymphadora turned back to the fireplace, shouting "The Leaky Cauldron!"

And she was gone.

* * *

And now Harry has an Auror searching for him. How long will it take for Tonks to find young Mr. Potter?

Like I said, the next chapter may take a week or so. However, the time may shorten if you head to my profile and answer a little poll I posted concerning some of my earlier stories. Even if you pick a totally random answer, I welcome some results.

And for you who care, some facts about Denson Academy of Magic.

The exact location is never spoken of, and anytime someone tries to mention its location more specifically than the southwestern United States, they find themselves tongue-tied. Many have given up. The school itself looks like a private medical clinic to mundanes, but if they try to hop the fence or get in somehow, they suddenly remember that the place has a history for strange disappearances and will be too overcome with trepidation to continue.

The school does offer primary education, but it's the same as mundane primary education, with only a small amount of magical education (mostly control of accidental magic). When the child reaches ten, they enter the school proper and learn magic (Magical Defense, Transfiguration, Charms, and Chemistry are the four core courses), but they must still take basic math, spelling/grammar, literature, and Mundane Culture (which is similar to Social Studies). When the student starts their fourth year of school (Denson has eight total years of magical education), they drop the latter four classes and are allowed to take up electives (and have the option of continuing a more advanced version of Mundane Culture). The minimum required amount of electives is two, with the remaining periods being devoted to study hall.

The electives to choose from are Mundane Culture, Biology (similar to Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology rolled into one), Runes, Arithmancy and Numerology, Political Science, Business Economics, Divination (though with a competent teacher), World History, and a few others that I may think up later.

The electives all have the same learning curve, but the core classes are separated into three levels: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Ron (who chooses not to apply himself to really anything) was set into the basic category in all except for Magical Defense, Ginny (probably as smart as Fred and George) was placed in the intermediate category, Hermione (obviously) is in the advanced category, and Harry (who could match Hermione if he applied himself) joined Hermione.

And here are their course schedules, just for reference.

Harry's Schedule

1st Period – Advanced Magical Defense

2nd Period – Biology

3rd Period – Advanced Transfiguration

4th Period – Advanced Charms

Lunch

5th Period – Advanced Chemistry

6th Period – Study Hall

7th Period – Runes

8th Period – Arithmancy and Numerology

Hermione's Schedule

1st Period –Advanced Magical Defense

2nd Period – Political Science

3rd Period – Advanced Transfiguration

4th Period – Advanced Charms

Lunch

5th Period – Advanced Chemistry

6th Period – World History

7th Period – Runes

8th Period – Arithmancy and Numerology

Ron's Schedule

1st Period – Basic Charms  
2nd Period – Biology

3rd Period – Study Hall

4th Period – Basic Chemistry

Lunch

5th Period – Intermediate Magical Defense

6th Period – Study Hall

7th Period – Mundane Culture

8th Period – Basic Transfiguration

Ginny's Schedule

1st Period – Mundane Culture

2nd Period – Intermediate Charms

3rd Period – Intermediate Chemistry

4th Period – Intermediate Transfiguration

Lunch

5th Period – Intermediate Magical Defense

6th Period – Study Hall

7th Period – Biology

8th Period – Business Economics


	10. EP 2: Chapter 6

Well, I have good news for you guys and bad news for me. I have a small bout of writer's block on my current endeavor (a full-length novel that I intend to publish someday). However, this is good news for fans of _Dragon_, since it means I write more of this. How very bittersweet.

This little chapter is told as a series of vignettes. It's a concept I've been using a lot lately, but never to this degree. We'll see how it works out.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any characters, spells, places, or other miscellaneous creations conceived by J.K. Rowling. Leon Mason, however, _is_ mine, as well as any other OCs that come up in the story. Use of them is limited to my express permission.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**Do you remember when we were so young, and the world was such a big place?**

Sirius couldn't believe his luck.

It was bizarre, really. He felt like he was living out what had been only a faraway dream for the past fourteen years.

"We're home!" Harry's voice called through the apartment as the front door slammed. "Sirius! Remus!"

"Kitchen!" Remus called, opening the oven door and eyeing a frozen pan of lasagna that had been cooking for near an hour now, filling the small apartment with a delicious scent. "Dinner'll be ready in about twenty minutes."

"Great, I'm starving," Ron said, plopping down on the sofa and picking up the remote. He turned on some Japanese cartoon that he had taken a liking to.

Harry walked into the kitchen, and Remus smiled at him.

"How was school?" he asked, and Harry slid into a chair, setting his course books on the counter.

"Tough, but fun," he said. "I may need some help with my Arithmancy homework, Remus."

"I'll help, but I'm not doing it _for_ you," Remus said with a smirk, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"You kidding?" he said. "Hermione would kill me if she found out I got someone else to do my homework. She might be coming by later, by the way."

"There's plenty of dinner to go around," Remus said, eyeing the oven again. Being a half-blood, he at least knew his way around the kitchen, though Harry was still a better chef, having had to cook for the Dursleys on numerous occasions. Remus could preheat an oven and bake frozen lasagna; Harry could make five different types of lasagna from scratch. Even so, Remus was well on his way to becoming a housewife in Sirius's opinion.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and Ginny stood, crossing the room to open it. "Hey, Hermione."

Sirius saw Harry perk up at the name, and he had to stop himself from laughing. If James could see his son, so hung up on a girl. He was reminded of his best friend's pursuit of Lily, though Harry had considerably more tact when dealing with women. And, now he thought about it, Lily and Hermione were quite alike in many ways, personality-wise. They shared a compassion for other people and creatures, and both were very loyal to the men in their lives. They were also incredibly clever and could be extremely cheeky when they wanted. Maybe Potters always married smart girls.

"Sirius," Remus whispered, nudging Sirius from his thoughts and gesturing in the direction of the sitting room, which they could see over the kitchen counter. "Look."

Sirius glanced over to the sitting room and held back a laugh; Harry was lying with his head in Hermione's lap, both of them studying the same Arithmancy book and writing down answers on a piece of paper.

"Looks like he won't need your help after all," Sirius observed with a grin. Remus chuckled quietly as the oven timer went off, signaling that dinner was done. As Remus removed the lasagna from the oven, Sirius watched the happy couple lying contentedly on the couch, observed by a smiling Ron (though he would occasionally roll his eyes when the pair weren't looking) and a giggling Ginny (who would sometimes allow her face to fall when the trio was engaged in their trademark three-way banter).

It was the picture of domestic bliss, similar to those muggle "sitcoms" Lily had told him about in seventh year.

Yes, despite his grievous misfortunes earlier in his life, Sirius Black considered himself to be the luckiest man alive right now.

……

Tonks couldn't believe her luck.

She had succeeded in missing her portkey by thirty seconds, _thirty bloody seconds_, half a _**bloody**_ minute, and had to wait _six hours_ for the next one. If that wasn't bad enough, she'd been approached by no less than four men while waiting in the portkey station, all of them clearly with romantic intentions. She soon got so frustrated that she told the last one that, as an Auror, she was authorized to use lethal force on any suspicious person, and then transformed herself into a much younger version of herself once he hurriedly left.

Glaring at a nine-year-old boy who was eyeing her now twelve-year-old self, she pulled the picture of Harry Potter from her pocket and eyed it. It had been enchanted to remain stationary like muggle photos so that she could show it to muggles without arousing awkward questions. In the picture, taken immediately following the first (and only) Triwizard Tournament task, Harry was flanked by his two friends, a redhead (Arthur Weasley's boy, Ron, she remembered) and a curly-haired brunette, the latter of which was staring adoringly at Harry. According to Dumbledore, her name was Hermione Granger, and she and Harry were convinced that they were in love and that Dumbledore was trying to keep them apart. All of this had been orchestrated by Leon Mason.

She felt a thrill of anger at even the thought of the name. In her first year of Hogwarts, she had met twelve-year-old Leon Mason, who Dumbledore had taken under his wing after "a spot of trouble", as the headmaster had put it. Leon had instantly taken a liking to her, and his fun-loving personality made him a perfect friend for Tonks. Both had been in Hufflepuff house, and despite missing the cutoff for first years (his birthday fell in August) Leon had been put in her year; the two spent nearly all of their time together.

In third year, they had shared their first kiss, and Leon had promptly asked her to go steady with him. Then, in fifth year, they'd lost their virginity together. They'd been famous as _the couple_ of Hogwarts, together nearly all seven years of their education.

Then, in seventh year, Leon had come down to breakfast one day, furious at her, accusing her of tricking him, calling her horrible things, then stormed from the Great Hall, never to be seen or heard from again. Tonks had been crushed and confused; what had prompted this outburst. Dumbledore had had no theories, though he'd promised to see if he could find him, but to no avail. Grief-stricken, she'd plunged into her Auror training, burying her feelings and emerging the woman she was today.

_Well, _she pondered, staring down at her twelve-year-old disguise_, in mind, anyway._

"Four o'clock portkey to Los Angeles, California, departing in five minutes!" a voice yelled, and Tonks stood, growing taller as she switched to her black-haired, green-eyed disguise, like an older, female version of Harry Potter, considerably more buxom than her usual self (in her defense, all of the pictures she had seen of Lily Potter showed her to be quite well –endowed). Walking toward the portkey takeoff point, she tripped over her backpack strap as she picked it up, stumbling but not falling. Grumbling at whatever twist of DNA had given her next to no coordination, she huffed as she slipped the backpack over her shoulders and trotted for the portkey.

If nothing else, this promised to be an interesting vacation.

……

Leon couldn't believe his luck.

He was still replaying the scenario in his head….

_Several minutes earlier…._

He unlocked the door to his house, dropping his briefcase on the floor and removing his jacket. As he hung it on the hook just inside the door, he heard a clatter in the kitchen. His hand immediately went for his sword and, gripping the hilt, he cast his senses for the room. He relaxed when he felt a familiar presence, quietly slipping through the dining room and stepping into the kitchen.

His refrigerator door was open, and a set of legs was visible, though the rest of the figure currently raiding his food supply was hidden from view.

"Sean O'Hara," he said, and the figure straightened up, grinning when he saw Leon in the doorway. Sean was a few years older than Leon. He was slightly taller, his dark brown hair and mustache neatly trimmed. "You better have a damn good reason for eating my last egg roll," he nodded at the item of food in Sean's hand.

"Oh, I got more than just a good reason, boyo," Sean said in his Irish accent. "I got Christmas come early for ya."

Leon grinned. For Sean, "Christmas come early" always meant great news. "Well, let's hear it."

"I been lookin' into Dumbledore for ya," Sean went on, leading the way into the dining room, where they sat down at Leon's table. "He's lookin' for somethin'. Somethin' big, from the sound o' things. Been makin' trips all over England."

"Do we know what he's looking for?" Leon asked, and Sean shook his head. "Not yet, anyway. But, that's where Christmas come early comes in. Guess who's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor o' Hogwarts?"

Sean held his arms out to his sides, clearly waiting for praise, and he wasn't disappointed. Leon threw his head back and laughed at the ceiling, and Sean grinned.

"Thought you'd like that one, boyo," he said moving his hands behind his head. Leon calmed down and looked back at Sean.

"Does he suspect anything?" he asked, and Sean shook his head.

"To him, I'm just another teacher out of a job at the moment," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "As far as he knows, I've never even _been_ to America."

"See if you can get into that Order of his," Leon said. "We need to know all we can about the old man, and we need to know what _he_ knows about Riddle."

"I'll see what I can do," Sean said with a nod. Leon gave him an appreciative clap on the shoulder.

"Be careful, though," he said. "If things start to get hairy, get out of there. It's not worth risking your safety."

"I know, boyo," Sean said with a grin. "I don't need _you_ tellin' _me_ to be safe. Lord knows how many tight spots I've gotten _you_ out of."

"Hey, I'm allowed to worry," Leon said defensively. "It's a best friend's prerogative."

Sean grinned, shaking his head. Then he nodded towards the kitchen. "I couldn't help but notice that you've stocked up on Heineken. Care to share the wealth?"

"And here I thought you were a Milwaukee's Best man," Leon grinned at the revolted expression on Sean's face.

"Never the Beast," he muttered. "Never again."

Leon grinned, standing. "Tell you what. Let's skip the fridge and head down to Mick's. Baseball, beer, and French fries."

Sean chuckled, standing as well. "Is Em gonna be there?"

Leon pointed his finger accusatively. "You stay away from my woman, Sean."

Sean laughed as they exited the house. "Maybe if you made a move, I would!" he roared in delight.

They could be heard arguing the whole way to the bar.

……

Ron couldn't believe his luck.

He was talking to (and laughing with) a very attractive American girl, walking along a boardwalk and eating a "corn dog". He had no idea how he'd never heard of a corn dog before. It was delicious! He'd have to get a few more before they left.

Earlier, Valerie had shown up at Harry's flat and invited them to Friday Night Madness, a weekly event held at the beachfront boardwalk. There were "roller coasters", muggle inventions sort of like trains, but the tracks twisted and turned all over the place; "Ferris wheels", like giant wheels that didn't move and had little cars hanging from them; and Ron's favorite, "haunted houses", which were laughable in their impressions of ghosts and goblins.

Harry and Hermione had run off to be alone after a "moment" in the haunted house in which Hermione had clung to Harry in a fit of fear. Ginny and several of Valerie's younger friends were riding roller coasters, and this left Ron, Valerie herself, and a few other friends, though they were currently playing a shooting game while the two watched.

"So, you've been at Denson for a couple of weeks now," Valerie said, pushing a lock of her now lime green hair out of her eyes. "How do you like it?"

"It's…different," Ron admitted. "I like Hogwarts, but this is definitely interesting, too."

Valerie smiled. "Yeah, Hogwarts is charming in its own right," she said. "It's got the whole castle thing going for it. But…I dunno. It seems more like a tourist attraction than a school, don't you think?"

"I guess so," Ron said, not sure how to answer. Valerie laughed.

"Are you always this eloquent?" she asked, and Ron shrugged.

"I have a way with words," he said, and Valerie laughed again.

"You should write poetry sometime," she said. Ron chuckled as well, stuffing his hands in his pockets. As they walked, he snuck a glance at Valerie. Her magicked-green hair was slightly luminous in the moonlight, and a small smile played at her mouth. He was surprised when the smile suddenly turned to a frown, then an angry grimace.

"What?" he asked as Valerie stopped dead, glaring through the crowd.

"My ex," she said darkly, taking Ron's arm. "Play along, okay?"

They continued, Ron's heart hammering .There was a girl hanging off his arm! _His_ arm!

"Val?" a voice asked, and a boy approached them. He was tall, roughly Ron's height, and had brown hair and brown eyes. Curly as his hair was, he could have been Hermione's brother. "How are you?"

"Good," Valerie said, smiling, though it looked far from friendly. She turned to Ron. "Ron, this is Kevin. Kevin, this is my very good friend, Ron."

"How's it going, Ron?" Kevin nodded, and Ron nodded back.

"Good," he said. "How about you?"

"Your accent," Kevin noted, cocking his head. "British?"

"No, he's from Canada," Valerie said in a voice laced with sarcasm. "Look, we'd love to talk, but we're actually on a date, so…."

"Date?" Kevin asked, clearly confused. "You said you were friends."

"That's how friends get to be more than friends," Valerie said, her sarcasm almost tangible. "By going on dates."

She squeezed Ron's arm, nudging him slightly, and he took that as a signal to say something.

"So…if you don't mind, we were going to take a walk on the beach," he said, looking at Valerie who smiled at him. Apparently, that had been the right thing to say. "Shall we?"

"See you, Kevin," Valerie said, and Kevin glared daggers at them, but did nothing. When they were alone again, Valerie released Ron's arm and laughed running through the sand.

"Oh, that was so much fun!" she giggled. Ron laughed as well, watching her spin with joy before rejoining him.

"So, what's the story with him?" Ron asked, and Valerie rolled her eyes.

"Typical teenage drama," she said. "We were going out for a little while, but I caught him in a…compromising situation with another girl."

"Oh," Ron said understandingly. "Well, he had it coming, then."

"_He_ doesn't think so," Valerie said. "Said it was my fault for not screwing him in the first place, but not in so many words. For God's sake, I'm fifteen."

Ron wanted to say something, but he knew from experience that all of the comments he could think of would probably earn him a slap in the face, so he kept quiet for once.

"Sorry," Valerie said after a moment. "I'm just dumping my problems on you."

"That's okay," he replied. "Hermione's always told me that sometimes you just have to talk about your problems."

"She's a smart girl," Valerie said.

They reached the beach and saw a couple further down, sitting on a small dune. Valerie led him to a point where the waves left the sand soft and squishy underfoot. Removing her sandals, she stepped out and let the water wash over her toes. Ron slid off his flip-flops (a favorite muggle accessory of his, as it required no tying of laces) and joined her.

"Thanks for helping me out back there," Valerie said. Ron nodded.

"Anytime," he said. Valerie smiled and kissed him on the cheek. He felt his ears redden and looked down at the girl, who laughed at the dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Don't get any ideas, Romeo," she said, poking him in the chest. "That was just a thank you between friends…for now."

She trotted along the beach, picking up her sandals as she went. Wondering who on earth "Romeo" was, he plucked up his own flip-flops and hastened to follow.

……

Molly Weasley couldn't believe her luck.

She had succeeded in alienating not only Harry Potter, her surrogate son, but her own biological daughter and son as well. And Fred and George had been awfully distant with her as of late. The only one who seemed willing to speak to her anymore was Percy, and he was working long hours at the Ministry. Bill and Charlie were abroad, and owls took days to get to them and back.

Why had it come to this? Dumbledore had had the plan very well outlined. The meeting in King's Cross, the friendship between Ron and Harry, and eventually, Ginny would enter the picture and snatch Harry up with her friendly personality. The love potion had been a last-ditch effort in case Harry didn't realize his feelings right away.

Unfortunately, the plan had encountered what the muggles called a "speed bump".

Hermione Granger.

No one had been expecting her to show up and become such good friends with Harry. No one had anticipated that she would become as close to Harry as Ron, possibly even closer.

No one could have predicted that she would fall in love with Harry.

Molly could see it. She was no stranger to love and its signs. The adoring looks, the close touches, the utter devotion with which she followed Harry into whatever damn fool task he felt like risking his life on during any given year. Hermione Granger was hopelessly in love with Harry Potter. And that had had to be fixed.

Was it so bad that she wanted her daughter to be happy? Ginny had been waiting her whole life for Harry. She was the spitting image of Lily, save for her brown eyes. And James and Harry were practically identical. It was meant to be!

But it wasn't.

"What have I done?" Molly whispered to herself. "What have I done?"

"Molly, dear?" her husband called from the backdoor, which shut with a clack as he entered the kitchen. "Molly, I'm home."

"Arthur," Molly muttered, moving her misty gaze up to her husband. "I'm a horrible person."

Arthur looked surprised at her statement. "Don't say that about yourself, Molly." He moved in to hug her shoulders, and she sobbed.

"But I am!" she wailed. "I…the things I did! I m-manipulated my own children! I'm a terrible mother and a terrible person!"

Arthur tightened his grip around his wife's shoulders. "Molly, you are far from a terrible person. A terrible person certainly doesn't acknowledge that they're terrible. You know you did something wrong, so now we just have to fix it."

"How?" Molly asked, looking pleadingly at her husband.

"We help Harry," Arthur said. "Wherever he's run off to, and whatever he's doing, I'm sure he could use help."

"But how do we find him?" Molly asked. "Even Dumbledore can't find him!"

"I think that if we've learned anything in the past few months," Arthur said darkly, "it's that Dumbledore isn't as all-powerful as he wants people to believe."

"But we have no way to look for him," Molly protested, and Arthur smiled.

"You have a husband and a son working in the Ministry of Magic," Arthur said with a smile. "Not to mention another son who's on pretty good terms with goblins. I think we can do a fair job of searching for one person."

Molly felt a swell of hope despite her previous anguish. "And then we can help them?"

Arthur nodded. "And then we can help them." Molly smiled at her husband, kissing him before he went to the sitting room to use the floo.

She would make this right. She had to.

……

Harry couldn't believe his luck.

He was walking, hand-in-hand with Hermione, along the beach, just the two of them, alone.

And her bikini! Oh, her bikini!

It was a small thing; she called it a "string bikini". The top (consisting of two triangles tied together with spaghetti straps) was a jade green color, and the bottom (two more triangles and string that barely covered her rather shapely bum) was charcoal black. When asked about the color scheme, she commented that they were her two favorite colors in the world (later commenting that they coincided with a certain someone's eyes and hair). In order to avoid too many stares (not the least from Ron), she had also tied a shawl around her waist while they walked along the boardwalk. Now, though, she had removed it, leaving Harry desperately trying not to ogle her legs.

"You okay, Harry?" she asked playfully as Harry once again looked sharply away from her legs, only to rest on her flat stomach, and subsequently her chest.

"I'm fine," Harry assured her, finally making it to her face. "Totally great."

Hermione smiled and hugged him. "Harry, I don't mind you looking," she said. "I'm glad you appreciate my body. Just don't forget that I have a brain, too," she added with a smirk.

"I don't think it's possible to forget that you have a brain," Harry chuckled, and Hermione laughed, kissing him. The kiss quickly turned heated, and the young couple stumbled over each other's legs, falling into the sand with Harry perched over Hermione. Propping himself up on one elbow, Harry trailed a finger lazily over her side, causing her to shiver in delight.

"Hmmmm," she made a noise of delight. "That tickles."

"Really," Harry grinned devilishly, and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Harry James Pot – AH!" she squealed in shock and started laughing as Harry mercilessly tickled her sides. Through her giggles, she managed to sit up and kiss Harry, plunging her tongue as deep into his mouth as possible. Distracted, Harry relented long enough for Hermione, to grab him and push him back, sending him sprawling in the sand.

"My turn," she said, pouncing him and returning the favor.

The tickle match continued with both sides trading dominance until they both collapsed, exhausted, in the sand. Hermione smiled and kissed Harry, still laughing weakly against his mouth. Harry, for his part, was in heaven. A barely-clothed Hermione was literally lying on top of him, snogging his brains out.

Unfortunately, a certain part of his anatomy wanted to express this happiness in a most inconvenient way.

"Oh!" Hermione broke the kiss, looking down at a now mortified Harry's waistline. "Is…that for me?"

"No one else on this beach, is there?" Harry grinned nervously, and Hermione smiled, turning pink.

"Do you…should I move?" she asked, and Harry nodded. She quickly stood and helped Harry up. He promptly turned away, closing his eyes and reciting the Periodic Table of the Elements from memory in his head. Within minutes, his "problem" was gone.

"Sorry 'bout that," he apologized, and Hermione smiled, her shawl once again wrapped around her waist.

"It's fine, Harry," she assured him. "I think I'd be more concerned if it _didn't_ happen."

Harry smiled and pulled her into another kiss.

"You're too good for me, Hermione," he said, inches away from her face. Hermione shook her head.

"I think it's the opposite," she said. "I'm lucky to have a guy like you."

"Well, we'll just have to deal, won't we?" Harry said. Hermione nodded, taking Harry's hand in hers.

"Harry, do you remember the first night we ran away?" she asked, suddenly nervous. Harry was puzzled at the sudden change of subject, but he nodded. "And…that night…in the hotel room?"

Harry nodded again, feeling his face heat up. He still had very nice dreams about the feel of Hermione's breasts beneath his hands, but had avoided trying to recreate the scenario in case she'd changed her mind.

"Why don't you…why don't you ever try to touch them again?" she finished in a hurry, blushing scarlet and not meeting his eyes. "Did you not like it?"

"Hermione, that night was the single best night of my entire life!" Harry assured her, and Hermione smiled, kissing him. "I was just…afraid you may have second thoughts."

"Well…feel free to…let your hands roam there," Hermione blushed again as Harry trailed his fingers over her stomach. "But...only there for now. Okay?"

"Hermione, you could tell me to never touch you again, and I wouldn't mind," Harry said. "Just being around you is enough."

Hermione smiled. "Cheesy much, Mr. Potter?" she giggled, and Harry shrugged with a smirk.

"Hey, I get a lot of inspiration from those chick flicks you make me watch all the time, so I'm not entirely to blame," he defended himself, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You know I don't 'make' you watch anything," she challenged. "You love them just as much as I do."

"Well, _Sleepless_ _in Seattle_ wasn't bad, I'll admit," Harry conceded, and Hermione smiled, hugging him tightly, as only Hermione ever could. "And _The Three Musketeers_ was good."

"That wasn't a chick flick, though," Hermione said, breaking away, and Harry shrugged, his fingers steadily making their way up her stomach. Hermione noticed this and smiled at him, leaning in to kiss him on the nose.

"I just said you can let your hands roam there," she said, taking her hand in his and guiding it up to her chest. "Just remember, no pinching," she grinned at him, and Harry chuckled, gently cupping her right breast, his other hand finding the other.

"I thought that was you tw – oh, bloody hell!"

Harry closed his eyes, dropping his hands and silently moaning.

"Ronald, I love you like a brother," he said as Hermione hid her face in his chest, "but you have the _worst timing EVER!_"

……

Rita Skeeter couldn't believe her luck.

Her hands were actually trembling as she read the letter in front of her. If there was ever proof of a higher deity, she was looking at it.

_Dear Miss Skeeter,_

_My name is Hermione Granger, and I have some information you may find interesting about Albus Dumbledore._

"Miss Granger, you've just made my career," she whispered at the letter, setting it down and pulling out a blank piece of parchment, followed by her Quick-Quotes Quill, the tip of which she sucked on before setting it on the paper, where it hovered, poised to write.

"Albus Dumbledore," she said, and the quill skittered across the parchment, "headmaster of Hogwarts, and so much more."

She checked the quill's progress.

_A man as crooked as his nose, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is obviously a man of secrets. But when do those secrets cross the line from personal issues into deceptive lies?_

"Cunning strategist."

_Moving his closest allies like pawns across a chessboard, just how much regard does he have for his minions?_

"Vision of hope."

_What are his real plans for the wizard world now that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is among us again?_

"And mentor to the great Harry Potter."

_And what of his protégé, Harry James Potter, who, once so close to the wizened old man, has seen fit to rid himself of the puppet-master's influence?_

Oh, yes. She definitely owed Hermione Granger.

* * *

Hm, and now the truth is out. Can even Dumbledore stop Rita Skeeter once she's found her story? I doubt it. How will Dumby react to this latest crack in his plans? And will Harry and Hermione ever have a moment of peace?

Next chapter, we see the fallout of Rita's discovery, and I must admit, I shocked myself even as I was writing it. Another unforeseen moment of creativity on my part. But you'll just have to wait for that one.

Also, Nightmare Before Christmas fans, can you find a reference to the movie?


	11. EP 2: Chapter 7

Woo, having fun now! The second "arc" of the story is finished, so I'm just posting the chapters right now. In this chapter, we see the fallout from Rita Skeeter's article. And it's explosive indeed. Also, see the author's note at the end for a challenge to win your own one-shot written by me!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**If your friends all jumped off a bridge, would you check to make sure there was water at the bottom?**

"Good morning, students of Denson Academy of Magic!" Leon's enthused voice came over the loudspeaker. Hermione smiled as she saw Ms. Chen roll her eyes in amusement. "It is Thursday, March 30, 1995, and I just knocked over my pens. I'll get it later. Okay, two major announcements today. First, it's Quidditch season!"

Several students in the classroom cheered, Harry included, and Hermione giggled at her boyfriend's antics.

"Maybe they need a seeker," she observed. Harry grinned at her.

"Tryouts will be held for the school teams tomorrow at four-thirty p.m.," Leon continued. "Be there, or don't be on the Quidditch team. If you have any questions, please contact any teacher or myself.

"Next big announcement, we got a Sadie Hawkins dance coming up at the end of the year."

The room now broke out in a fit of giggles and whispers as girls immediately read the implications of this and consulted each other on prospective dates.

"For those who don't have any idea what a Sadie Hawkins dance is, the girls ask the guys. So ladies, scoop up the guy you want before anyone else can. And, as an added note, teachers and staff can_not_ escort students to the dance, so neither I nor Mr. Waters are available."

There was a breakout of laughter at this point, and even Ms. Chen let a small chuckle. Hermione guessed that some students had gotten ideas about the young principal and Defense teacher a previous year.

Leon finished his announcements minutes later, and the lesson began. Today, they were learning how to transfigure metal objects into dense shields. Ms. Chen explained that it was a great ability to have, as thick rocks and metal were able to block Unforgivable Curses, even the Killing Curse.

"Leon did that," Harry whispered as they practiced on saucepans. "He raised a rock out of the ground to block a Killing Curse Riddle sent at me."

Hermione squeezed his hand, more for her own reassurance that he was still there. "Did he use that sword?"

Harry nodded. "I've never seen him use a wand. It's strange."

"At first, I thought it was normal American practice," Hermione said, "that maybe a lot of American wizards supplement their magic with melee weapons. I asked Mr. Waters about it, but he said it's not very common. A lot of Italian wizards use swords, but almost no Americans do."

"Maybe he's got an Italian grandfather," Harry suggested. "Or maybe he's just an oddball who likes swords."

Hermione smiled. "_You're_ an oddball," she pushed him playfully. Serious, she said, "I think there's something more. If it was so simple, he'd have explained it. But no one knows why he uses a sword or where he learned the spells he knows."

"If you're so curious, go ask him," Harry said.

......

So it was that Hermione stood outside the principal's office after school the next day while Harry, Ron, and Ginny were at Quidditch tryouts. She had wanted to wait to cheer Harry on, but Harry had insisted that she get to the bottom of her mystery as soon as possible. Hermione smiled; she had such an understanding boyfriend.

She opened the door and peeked inside. The office was empty, but Hermione wasn't surprised; Leon was often seen roaming the halls of the school, usually singing to himself, often boisterously. She supposed that he was off flirting with Ms. Chen again.

_I suppose it won't hurt to wait for him_, Hermione mused, stepping into the office. It was a plain, mundane sort of place, nothing like the professors' offices at Hogwarts. A simple wooden desk sat in the center of the room, pens, papers, and other essentials strewn haphazardly across it. A large, cushy rolling chair situated on the side opposite Hermione had an indent in it, obviously from being occupied by the same person for a long period of time. Along the wall, filing cabinets, bookshelves, and even a fridge sat, as well as three teaching diplomas and an academic achievement award.

Hermione walked up to the desk, where a couple of chairs sat on the opposite side of the rolling chair, obviously for students to sit in while consulting with the principal. She moved to sit in one of the chairs, but something caught her eye on the desk. She had just been studying magic transference runes in class today, and she recognized the markings of one in a book that lay open on the teacher's desk.

Never one to turn down a good book, she reached over and took the tome, reading the page.

…_transference runes can be useful in increasing magical power levels in wizards, however use on mundane is considered unorthodox for the mere reason that it is utterly without gain. The muggle in question will have magic, but they will be unable to use it, their bodies lacking the inborn abilities to control and release the powers. Thus, you will have a sort of "reverse Squib", one who has magic, but cannot use it._

"Fascinating read, isn't it?" Hermione jumped at the voice, turning to see Leon eyeing her with amusement. "You remind me so much of my kid sister. She can't see a book without reading it cover to cover. I'm a slow reader, myself. Lack of focus."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, her heart still hammering. "I was waiting for you, and I saw the book. I…wanted to ask you something."

Leon nodded. "Another thing you have in common with Lydia. Too damn smart sometimes. You're wondering about my 'unique abilities'."

"You said once that you didn't always have them," Hermione said, watching as he moved around the desk. "Is this how you got them?" she held the book up.

"Yeah," Leon said with a nod, dropping into his chair with such force that it rolled back several inches. Hermione sat opposite him, the book in her lap. "A while back, there was a mass breakout from some Italian magical prison. I can't even pronounce the name. Anyway, lots of them fled to America; wanted a slice of the American dream, you know? A fresh start, new beginning, all of that.

"A group of three of them were traveling through the Washington countryside when a blizzard hit. They didn't have wands, so they couldn't magic themselves warm or anything. They took refuge in a barn near a farmhouse, but by that point, one of them was already close to hypothermia. A mundane boy that lived in the house found them and gave them some blankets and hot food and drinks. The next morning, they were up and around again. Touched by the boy's kindness, they decided to give him a gift. The oldest drew a rune on the boy's forehead," he pointed at the magical transference rune in the book, "and said an incantation. Next thing the boy knew, he woke up six hours later, and there was a sword lying next to him."

Hermione looked at the sword sheathed at Leon's belt and back at Leon, who smiled.

"I was eleven at the time," he said. "Kind of ironic, as that's the admission age for Hogwarts, eh? As soon as I touched the sword, it was like I knew every spell in existence and exactly how to use them. Bit of a shock, actually. I later found out that the old man who gave me the powers had used the same rune to steal powers from over a dozen other magic-users, all of which he transferred into me. That was what he'd been imprisoned for. Guess it was his way of atonement."

"But…you were a mundane?" Hermione asked. "How could you use the powers then? The book said…."

"That's the million-dollar question," Leon said, also eyeing the book. "Somehow, that guy tied the powers to the sword. As long as I'm touching the sword, I can use the magic. As soon as I'm away from it, I'm as normal as your mom and dad."

"Well, that explains why you always carry it around," Hermione said. "And Dumbledore wanted to know because…."

"Just a guess, but probably so he could create an army of mundane-turned-wizards and find some way to tie the swords to him," Leon said. "As soon as they showed any sign of disloyalty, _poof_," he made a gesture with his hand. "No more magic."

"How far had he gotten before you ran away?" Hermione asked. Leon shook his head.

"Not very far at all," Leon said. "It looks like that Italian guy was the only one who knew how to work the rune, and he's disappeared, probably run off to South America."

Hermione nodded. "So, do you have a wand?"

Leon shrugged, opening a drawer in his desk and removing a long, thin magic wand, which he held up for Hermione to observe.

"Twelve and three-quarters inches, hazel, with a dragon heartstring core," he said. "Never really got around to using it."

"But you went to Hogwarts," Hermione said. "You must have learned spells."

Leon shook his head. "Since I'm a mundane by nature, I'm incapable of learning new spells," he said. "All I can do is use the ones that the Italian gave me."

Hermione felt her eyes widen. "So you spent seven years at Hogwarts…."

"Learning a lot of magical theory," Leon finished with wry grin. "But, it wasn't all bad. At least…" he gained a dark look, "at the time it wasn't. _But_," he clapped his hands, suddenly chipper, and grinned, "I imagine tryouts are probably over by now. You should go check on your boyfriend."

Hermione checked her watch, gasping. It was close to five!

"Thank you, sir," she said, rushing from the office. She nearly ran headlong into Harry as he walked up the hallway, slowing enough that she only fell into his arms.

"Wow, absence really does make the heart grow fonder," Harry laughed, and Hermione rolled her eyes up at him.

"Imagine if we actually spent a few days apart," she said. Harry smiled.

"We'd be all over each other," he said.

"I thought we were already," Hermione said. Harry leaned in to kiss her, and she smiled against his mouth. "So, how'd it go?"

"I'm starting seeker," Harry grinned, and Hermione hugged him.

"Harry, that's great!" Hermione said. "I knew you'd make it, but I'm still glad you did. How about Ron and Ginny?"

"I made reserve keeper," Ron said, coming up behind them and sounding mildly disappointed. "Least I'm on the team, though, right?"

"Exactly," Ginny was close behind her brother. "I only made reserve chaser, but I'm fine. Games can run so long that they have to bring in two or three reserves sometimes. We'll get to play a few games."

At that moment, Hermione felt her pocket vibrate, and she jumped, withdrawing her new cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Honey? Are the tryouts over yet?"

"Yes, Mum. We'll be home as soon as possible."

"So, did Harry make the team?"

Hermione smiled at Harry. "Of course. Was I the only one who didn't doubt him?"

"Well, judging by the homemade pizzas cooking in the oven for him, I'd have to say no."

She smiled wider, laughing. "You made him a pizza?" She saw Harry turn pink and laughed again. "He says thank you, and he can't wait to try it."

"See you soon, sweetie."

"Bye, Mum."

She hung up, and Harry groaned.

"Your parents made a pizza for me?"

"Yes, because they're proud of you," Hermione said, hugging him, "just like me. Now, let's get home."

As they made their way out front, hurried footsteps sounded behind him, and they turned to see Valerie rushing toward them.

"There you guys are!" she said. "Mr. Mason's looking for you. He wants you in his office right now."

"Why?" Ron asked, and Valerie shook her head.

"No idea," she said. "That man can be a brick wall when he needs to be."

They were at the principal's office minutes later, accompanied by Valerie, who waited outside while they entered the office. Leon was at his desk, a newspaper spread out before him. Hermione immediately recognized the moving pictures and spiraling text as the _Daily Prophet_.

"You get the _Prophet_ delivered, sir?" Hermione asked, and Leon nodded.

"I like to keep up on foreign affairs since Riddle came back," he said. "Good thing, too. Check this out."

He held up the paper, and the other three gasped, Ron's followed with an exclaimed, "Bloody hell!" Hermione felt a triumphant grin spread on her face, however, a fact Leon noticed.

"Granger, you're a devious one," he said.

_**The Boy-Who-Fled?**_

_**Harry Potter Escapes Clutches of Scheming Headmaster**_

_By Rita Skeeter_

_A man as crooked as his nose, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is obviously a man of secrets. But when do those secrets cross the line from personal issues into deceptive lies? Moving his closest allies like pawns across a chessboard, just how much regard does he have for his minions? And what of his protégé, Harry James Potter, who, once so close to the wizened old man, has seen fit to rid himself of the puppet-master's influence?_

_That's right; Harry Potter is no longer among the wizards of Britain. The boy who triumphed over You-Know-Who is now in hiding from his own mentor, whose scheming included hiding a vast inheritance from the Boy-Who-Lived, keeping proof of his godfather, Sirius Black's innocence for thirteen years, and even tricking the poor young boy with Amortentia, the most powerful of love potions, convincing him to fall in love with a fellow student in order to keep him as close to his influence as possible._

_To what end did the wise old man do this? What was to be accomplished by having Harry Potter in his pocket?_

_A source close to this writer has stated that Dumbledore had every intention of sending the Boy-Who-Lived to his death at the hands of You-Know-Who._

_According to the source, Albus Dumbledore believes that You-Know-Who can only be defeated with the death of Harry Potter, who is somehow linked to the Dark Lord. Whether this farfetched statement is true remains to be seen, but this reporter believes that Dumbledore should think his plans through a little more carefully. And wherever the Boy-Who-Lived is, we can only hope that it is better than under Dumbledore's tyrannical reign._

"I never thought I'd say this," Harry said, "but thank you, Rita Skeeter."

"She really stuck it to Dumbledore," Ron observed. "He'll never be able to live this down."

"Maybe not," Leon said, "but you should still be careful. I don't think the old man's given up yet. No doubt he'll have sent someone to find you. If he does, he'll probably do a memory charm and have you testify that the claim was totally false. Hermione, you sent it in, right?"

Hermione nodded with a smug smile, and Leon shook his head in amusement.

"He'd probably make you out to be a kidnapper or something, desperate to have Harry to yourself," he went on, and Hermione clenched her hands into fists. "Just be careful. I doubt any agent of his will be able to find this place, but all the same."

"We'll be careful," Hermione assured him.

As they walked home later that day, Ron read through the article again, shaking his head.

"Dumbledore tries to take Harry away from you and you smear him all across the front page," he said. "Remind never to cross you, Hermione."

……

"This has gone too far," Albus Dumbledore said, surveying the paper over steepled fingers. "Much too far."

There was a sharp knock on his office door, and Minerva had burst in before he'd even finished saying, "Enter."

"Is any of this true, Albus?" she said in a voice of quiet rage, brandishing the paper. "Tell me the truth."

"The truth," Albus said, "is that we need to find Harry. It's obvious from this article that he needs guidance."

"Did you or did you not give Potter a love potion?" Minerva asked, her voice growing louder. "Did you…_do_ you intend for him to die?"

"Has Rita Skeeter ever given you any cause to believe her in the past, Minerva?" Albus asked, standing and moving to his pensieve. Pointing his wand to his temple, he drew away a memory and placed it in with the others, where it swirled until the contents settled down to their liquid-gas state.

"No," Minerva said, removing a folded letter from her pocket and holding it up. Unmistakably neat, curly writing adorned the page, detailing the same plot that Rita Skeeter had just outlined, with several more details. "But I believe Miss Granger."

"Miss Granger is not the girl you believe her to be," was all Albus said, looking steadily at his Deputy Headmistress. "She is called the cleverest witch of her age for a reason. A terrific actress."

"Do you expect me to believe that this article is part of some sort of…grand plot by Hermione Granger!?" Minerva was shouting now, and Albus looked up at her in mild shock. "The fact that you continue to evade the question, have avoided giving me a straight answer, is proof enough. I'm going to find out the facts. Goodbye, Albus."

As she turned and made to leave the office, the door slammed shut, locking with a resounding click.

"Minerva, I implore you to see reason," Albus said, and Minvera rounded angrily on her boss.

"Albus Dumbledore, unlock that door at once," she said in an icy voice, but Dumbledore made no such move.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," Albus said. "Harry requires my guidance, and you would immediately seek to undermine that. No matter, though. A simple compulsion charm will – "

Quite suddenly, the door burst in, and the tiny from of Filius Flitwick stepped through.

"Minerva!" he squeaked. "Has he harmed you?"

"Not yet," Minerva said, stepping back to be joined by her colleague, who was quickly followed by Rubeus Hagrid,and Pomona Sprout.

"How could yeh, Professor?" Hagrid growled, surging forward. "Harry trusted yeh. We all trusted yeh."

"What I do is for the good of everyone," Albus said solemnly. "The greater good."

"And wha' abou' Harry's good, eh!?" Hagrid roared, enraged now. "Yeh were jus' willin' ter let him die!?"

He actually made to advance on the headmaster, but Minerva held up a hand.

"Hagrid calm yourself!" she snapped, and it was only out of his respect for the Deputy Headmistress that he willed himself to calm down. "Albus, did you never stop to think that maybe there was another way?"

"There is no other way, Minerva," Albus said. "Harry must go into battle with Voldemort…and perish."

"I refuse to believe that," Minerva said, her voice once again cold. "I refuse to let that poor boy die just because you believe it's his destiny."

Albus watched helplessly as his staff exited the office, making straight for the front door, with no intentions of ever returning. He was left with an empty office, staring blankly at his door.

"I'm going to miss your days as headmaster, Dumbledore," Phineas Nigellus sai, breaking the silence. "There's always something exciting happening."

Ignoring him, Dumbledore strode over to his fireplace, grabbing a handful of floo powder and tossing it in. Sticking his head in, he shouted, "Cornelius Fudge!"

……

"To the new Quidditch team members!" Emma Granger toasted, holding up her glass of lemonade. The others responded in kind and clinked their glasses together, taking a drink.

"Hear, hear!" Sirius said with a grin, cuffing Harry on the shoulder and shaking him. "And you can expect to see me at every game!"

"Oh, should I look for the great, hairy dog that's tackling the ref every time he makes a call against me?" Harry laughed.

"Absolutely!" Sirius responded immediately, taking another drink of his pop. Next to him, Remus rolled his eyes.

"So, Ginny, have you thought of who you're going to ask to the dance?" Hermione asked, and redheaded girl shook her head.

"Not yet," she said. "You're going with Harry, I suppose?" she finished with a knowing smile, and Hermione nodded, laughing.

"That reminds me," she said, turning to Harry, who was talking to Remus and Sirius, and leaning against his back to whisper in his ear, "Harry, will you go to the dance with me?"

Harry shivered at her whisper but nodded. "Of course. I have to warn you, though. I can't be responsible for the consequences next time you do that."

Hermione blushed. "I like consequences," she whispered, turning back to Ginny and leaving a flustered Harry. Sirius quickly took the opportunity to tear the mickey out of him, with spirited help from Remus.

Meanwhile, Ginny turned to Ron, who was already on his third slice of pizza (Dan and Emma had had the foresight to make two pies), and asked, "So, has Valerie asked you to the dance yet, Ron?"

Ron looked puzzled. "No, why?"

"She was asking me if you had a date yet," Ginny said offhandedly. "I think she likes you."

Ron's ears quickly turned red at this statement, and Ginny laughed at her brother's obliviousness. Hermione joined in, though she was slightly worried; Valerie still had no idea of the group's real identities, namely Harry's. She hoped that any relationship that Ron and Valerie started would be able to survive such a revelation.

Later that night, Dan, Emma, Sirius, and Remus had all retired to the balcony to enjoy a few beers (and a wine cooler for Emma), leaving the four teens inside. Ron and Ginny were in the sitting room, watching a game show of some kind (Ginny called it "remedial Mundane Culture", as it helped them learn mundane trivia), while Harry and Hermione sat on the small loveseat in her room, watching Hermione's own television, though they were doing little actual watching and more snogging, Harry taking full advantage of their alone time to get Hermione's shirt off. She wasn't quite ready to remove her bra, though Harry was free to slip his hands under when he felt like it.

"I'm glad you made the Quidditch team," Hermione said as they lounged on the couch, Harry lying with Hermione's back against him. He was casually trailing his hands over her stomach, but he would occasionally roam further upward. "You deserve some fun once in a while."

"I'm having fun right now," Harry said with a grin, lightly rubbing the nubs poking through her bra. Hermione arched, her back leaving him momentarily, and gave a hiss of delight before settling back against him. Harry had discovered that particular reaction the day after their beach trip and rather liked coaxing it out of her.

"Mmm, you know what I mean," she said softly. "You used to love playing Quidditch, and it's good that you have that back."

Harry leaned forward and kissed her neck, then made his way to her jaw, where he nibbled on the point where her jaw met her neck. Hermione let out a shuddering gasp, shivering with delight against Harry's body.

"Y-you know too many ways t-to make me…" she trailed off as Harry trailed a single finger over her side.

"Complete putty in my arms?" Harry supplied for her with a grin, and Hermione nodded. As she arched off of him once again, Harry caught sight of her pink bra strap. He twitched it tentatively, and Hermione smiled over her shoulder at him.

"Tonight?" he asked hopefully, and Hermione looked down at her lap.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I'm…just not ready yet."

"That's fine, Hermione," Harry reassured her, pulling her too him. "Remember what I told you before? Whenever you're ready, that's when anything will happen."

Hermione smiled at him, leaning back against him. As she leaned her head back to kiss him again, her lights flickered off for a second, then back on. By the time they had returned, Hermione was already scrambling for her shirt.

"Mum!" she hissed, slipping her shirt over her head and smoothing it. Harry marveled at her warding ability. As soon as her mother had decided to check up on them, they were tipped off.

Hermione eyed herself in the full-length mirror on her closet door and ran her fingers through her hair. Plopping back down on the couch, she nestled into the crook of Harry's arm as soon as the bedroom door opened.

"Hermione, say goodnight," Emma said, poking her head in. "It's time for Harry to go."

"Aw," Hermione pouted and folded her arms in mock petulance. "Mum, can't I keep him?"

Emma rolled her eyes at her daughter. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind that, but I think Sirius would miss his godson."

"Well, you have talked about getting a dog," Hermione countered with a smile.

"I heard that!" Sirius's voice called from further back in the hallway, and they all shared a laugh.

As they descended the stairs to their own apartment, Sirius nudged Harry with his elbow.

"So, you and Hermione are pretty close…" he trailed of suggestively, and Harry shook his head.

"A gentleman never kisses and tells," he said, and Sirius roared with laughter, clapping Harry on the shoulder again.

* * *

Aw, Sirius is happy. Well, that's all that really matters, right?

And now for the contest: I need help. See, I'm writing the Sadie Hawkins dance scene right now, and I need help with the girls' attire. The dress code is "casual dressy", and I'm absolute rubbish with girl clothes (hey, I'm a single twenty-year-old guy). So, I've decided to make a little contest. Post your ideas for dance outfits in a review, and the top three will not only have theirs used in the story, but you'll get a one-shot written to your specifications. Thanks in advance!


	12. EP 2: Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I'd probably rewrite most of them. Also, any songs, books, tv shows, etc. that are mentioned in this story are the sole creative property of their respective owners, and I make no money from the use of their creations. Leon Mason, Denson Academy, and its staff and students belong to me, though, and their use is limited to my permission._

_**WOOOO, HAVIN' FUN!!**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

**Chapter Twelve:**

**No, I don't know anything about a cauldron made of Tupperware. And who the hell are you?**

Tonks sighed in anger.

_Near a beach_, she grumbled inwardly. _It's near a beach. Right, that just leaves the entire bloody coast of the southwestern United States_.

Dumbledore hadn't had much in the way of information on the whereabouts of Denson Academy of Magic, only that it was near a beach and located somewhere in the southwestern U.S. Being an Auror, though, she would be able to work with this.

But it was _so __**hot**_! Discreetly refreshing her cooling charm, she fanned herself as she sat on a boardwalk, overlooking a beach. She was currently near some town called Santa Maria, California. Or something like that. It was definitely in California, though.

Why was she here of all places?

"Tonks," a voice said, and Tonks turned to see a man joining her on the bench. He was older, around forty or so, and showing it. His head was shaved, but the bristles growing back showed the outline of a receding hairline, and while he still had a fair amount of muscle, he was starting to show a gut.

"Ivan," Tonks greeted him, "right?"

"Dumbledore told me to expect you," Ivan said, reaching into his pocket. "Don't know why we had to meet all the way out here."

"You have information for me?" Tonks cut straight to the chase. Ivan nodded.

"There's a certain group of students in the area," he said. "Spend a lot of time at the Greyhound stations. You should see the cards they carry around."

"Cards?" Tonks asked, but Ivan was already standing. "Hey! What are the cards for?"

A car backfired nearby, and everyone turned to look for the source of the noise, Tonks included. By the time she looked back to where Ivan was, he was gone.

Tonks stood, deciding that the first order of business would be to check out these Greyhound stations. However vague it may be, at least she had a lead now.

……

"Harry?"

Hermione smiled, knowing exactly what was coming as Harry turned his attention to the twelve-year-old girl that had approached him, blushing tomato-red and staring at her feet.

"Um…my name's Carol Yoder," the girl stammered. "Will you go to the dance with me?"

Harry gave her a sad smile. "Sorry, Carol," he said, taking Hermione's hand. "I'm spoken for."

Carol looked from Hermione to Harry, her shock evident on her face. "I'm sorry! I…."

Taking pity, Hermione spoke up. "But Harry would be happy to dance with you for a song."

Carol blushed darker, nodding but unable to speak, and rushed off to meet her friends, who all crowded around her, asking for details.

"I'm beginning to regret making the Quidditch team," Harry muttered, watching as the gaggle of girls rushed off to the next class. "I feel like I'm back at Hogwarts."

"Well, you do have this…allure about you," Hermione said, and Harry colored, looking at her questioningly. "Well, you're handsome, and your messy hair is really dashing – "

"And your eyes," Ginny added, not meeting the green orbs in question.

"And your _grin_," Hermione added, turning pink. "When you smile, I swear every girl in the vicinity melts."

"It's true," Ginny confirmed.

Harry was looking increasingly flustered under the two girls' outlining of his positive traits. Hermione smiled and kissed him.

"But, if we have to, I supposed we could increase the public show of affection," she said in a mock suffering voice. "If it means making your life easier."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, cottoning on. "I wouldn't want you to make such a huge sacrifice."

"I'll manage," Hermione smiled. "If only to let them know you're all mine."

……

"…. And finally, signup has begun for the dueling team," Leon said during the morning announcements. "Sheets will be posted outside the office and in every homeroom class, so sign up if you wanna practice the spells your Defense teachers show you."

Hermione looked at Harry, who looked intrigued. "Want to give it a shot?" she asked him, and Harry nodded.

"I just hope it doesn't interfere with Quidditch," he said.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Hermione said with an amused roll of the eyes. Boys and Quidditch. She would never understand. She could understand Harry's eagerness to participate in the dueling team, though. Anyone in his position would want to learn to defend themselves against attackers.

At lunch that day, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny immediately turned discussion to the dueling team, joined moments later by Valerie, who squeezed between Ron and Ginny.

"Valerie, what d'you know about the dueling team?" Hermione asked, and Valerie shook her head.

"My ex, Kevin, was on the team last year," she said. "I went to a few practices. It's intense. They don't pull any punches. They start out just teaching basic defensive and offensive spells, then they move on to combat maneuvering, evasion, that kind of thing. They cover team fighting, two-on-two, two-on-one, just about anything you can imagine. Once your good enough, you can actually join a regional dueling championship that starts up in the fall and start taking on students from other schools."

"Wicked!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm in."

"Could be fun," Ginny agreed.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, and Harry nodded. "Then I'm joining, too."

"Mind if I tag along to practice?" Valerie asked, looking at Ron, who shrugged.

"Sure." Valerie smiled, and Hermione noticed Ron's ears redden, and he looked down at his tray. She nudged Harry, who had noticed this as well.

"Looks like ickle Ronnie's got a crush," he whispered in Hermione's ear, and she giggled.

……

"So, I heard you got a dance coming up?" Sirius asked one night as Harry returned from Quidditch practice. Harry groaned. Of course Sirius would find out about it. "You're taking Hermione, of course," he said this as though it were the most natural thing ever.

"Well, _she's_ taking_ me_," Harry corrected him. "It's girls' choice," he added at Sirius's questioning look. His godfather grinned.

"Oh, I'll bet you've got all sorts of girls asking you," he said, and Harry felt his face heat up.

"So?" he asked, and Sirius laughed, slapping the table.

"Oh, this is too much!" he said. "Soon as you start dating a girl, you get all sorts clamoring for your attention!" He laughed some more, and Harry punched him playfully on the shoulder.

"Shut up," he said. "I'll bet you had girls all over you in school, too, eh?"

"Naturally," Sirius said, giving a conceited flip of the hair. "But there's a difference. I was never a one-woman man, and they all knew it. They just wanted a bite of the apple."

"Some apple," Harry said, shoving him. "Rotten to the core."

"Oh, that was terrible," Sirius said, grinning. "Still this'll be a sight. Maybe I'll bring one of those diveo cameras Remus told me about."

"Vi-dee-oh," Harry pronounced for him, "and what do you mean 'bring'?"

"I'm chaperoning the dance," he said, and Harry's eyes widened in horror. Sirius? Sirius Black, notorious ladies man of Hogwarts infamy? Around teenage girls?

"Who's bright idea was that?" he asked, and Sirius gave an evil grin.

"Principal Mason," he said. "He's not a bad guy. Good drinking mate."

Harry buried his face in his hands, and Sirius gave him a consoling pat on the back, chuckling.

"Don't worry, Harry," Remus's voice said on his other side, and he looked up to see his former professor smiling as he drew a glass of water. "I'll be there, too. Though I'll probably be chaperoning _him_," he nodded at Sirius, "more than anyone else, but I'll trust you to be responsible."

Harry smiled. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

At least he'd get to see Hermione in a skirt.

……

The first meeting of the dueling team fell on a balmy (as usual) Friday afternoon, after classes had let out. Prospective members were to meet on the Quidditch pavilion.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Valerie filed into seats that had been set up on the ground as opposed to the raised Quidditch stands. A few dozen students were there already, and a few more were filing in. Most looked to be here already, though.

When everyone looked to have arrived, they watched as Mr. Waters, Mr. Hanson, and Leon all filed into the pavilion, Mr. Waters carrying a bullhorn.

"Settle down, everyone!" he called, and the assembled students quieted. "Your attention, please."

When the place was quiet, Leon stepped forward.

"Welcome to the dueling team," he said. "First thing's first. If you're only here because you want to beat each other up with spells, you can leave. This is an organization dedicated to studying spells and how to use them responsibly to resolve conflicts; we will not be teaching you big bad spells that you can use to intimidate others and pick fights."

No one moved, and Leon cocked an eyebrow.

"Good," he said. "We will start off simple. Who here has had any dueling experience?"

Harry raised his hand, and Hermione and Ron did as well. Harry had dueled Voldemort himself, and Ron and Hermione had at least learned the basics in second year. They were among a dozen students to raise their hands.

"You stand over here," Leon pointed them toward the middle of the stadium. "The rest of you will go with Mr. Hanson and Mr. Waters. They will teach you basic forms and defensive spells. You guys," he turned to the assembled students who claimed to have experience, "pair up and spread out."

Hermione's first instinct was to pair with Harry, but she realized that she wouldn't be able to bring herself to fire a spell at him. Instead, she paired with Ron, whose only qualm was that he didn't want to "hit a girl". She had no problem with that. Harry only told her to leave Ron in one piece and proceeded to pair up with some guy named Kevin.

"Okay, now we're just going to gauge your abilities and figure out exactly how proficient you all are," Leon said, gripping his sword by the hilt as he observed them. Half of the pairs were currently facing off with each other while the other half watched. "When I count to three, you will attempt to disable your opponent. One…two…."

Harry watched as Kevin raised his wand, and he gripped his own, wetting his lips with his tongue.

"Three!"

"_Expelliarmus_!" Harry called, and Kevin's wand flew from his hand. "_Accio Wand_!"

Kevin's wand flew into Harry's hand as Harry darted for Kevin, pressing his wand to the other boy's throat.

The others had barely finished incanting their spells.

"Harry, that was fuckin' awesome!" Leon said, then caught himself. "I mean…well done, Mr. Lewis."

Kevin only glared at Harry as he took his wand away from the boy's throat. "May I have my wand back?" he asked, and Harry produced the wand, handing it to the boy, who snatched it from his grip and stalked off to the sidelines as the others finished casting their spells. He caught Hermione's eye, and she beamed proudly at him. Next to her, Ron's expression was gobsmacked, and he laughed, joining them.

"Remind me never to piss you off, mate," he said, and Harry smirked.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about Hermione?" he asked, and Ron eyed their female friend calculatingly.

"We'll see," he said, and Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"That sounds like a challenge, Mr. Weasley," she said, and Ron grinned as they took to the field, the first set of duelists finished. Harry watched. This would definitely be good.

Hermione had tied her bushy hair back into a braid so that it wouldn't get in the way during dueling, giving Harry a better view of her petite shoulders and all around light frame. She sure didn't cut an imposing figure, but Harry knew size was no guarantee of power.

"Three…two…one!"

"_Expelliarmus_!" Ron called, but Hermione already had her wand up.

"_Protego_!" Her shield charm blocked Ron's disarming jinx, and she quickly spun to cast a new spell.

"_Stupefy_!" A jet of red light shot at Ron, sending him hurtling backward, where he rolled to a stop, unconscious.

Leon was grinning as revived Ron, who looked at Hermione with awe on his face.

"You know, Ron, there are these fascinating things called books," Hermione said, pocketing her wand. "And some actually have lists of spells commonly used in duels. Wonderful, isn't it?"

Ron couldn't seem to think of anything to say, and Leon helped him to his feet as the other duelists battle on.

"I think you three will go far in this team," the principal said with a grin.

……

It was a grim congregation that met in Professor Minerva McGonagall's sitting room a week after her departure from Hogwarts. Professor Sprout was seated on her sofa, nursing a cup of tea. Hagrid sat on the floor (he would crush any piece of furniture), Fang the boarhound curled in his massive lap, occasionally chugging from his tankard of mead. Professor Flitwick sat in an armchair next to McGonagall's both of them drinking from small glasses of firewhiskey.

"What do we do, Minerva?" Filius asked. Minerva shook her head.

"I don't know," she admitted. "We need to find Harry and his friends."

A knock on the door turned their attention away from their conversation, and they all watched as Minerva stood and made her way to the door, producing her wand.

"Who's there?" she asked firmly.

"Arthur Weasley," a voice responded.

She opened the door, and Arthur and Molly stood on the threshold, Arthur looking determined, Molly frightened. Behind them stood their eldest, Bill, watching the street with his wand out. Minerva motioned them in.

"We've been expecting you," she said. "Anything to drink?" They all shook their heads. "Have a seat."

Molly sat in an empty armchair, and Arthur sat next to Pomona. Bill chose to remain standing. Arthur spoke.

"We heard about you leaving Hogwarts after the article," he said. "It's all over the Ministry. Dumbledore's bringing in a lot of Ministry workers to fill in the staff. Some woman named Umbridge is taking over Transfiguration, but the others haven't been finalized. You guys are officially wanted by the Ministry."

"And what about you?" Minerva asked. Arthur shook his head.

"We just want to right what we did wrong," he said.

"No," Molly said hardly. "What _I_ did wrong."

"Molly?" Minerva asked, and Molly looked at her, eyes shining.

"I was the one who gave Harry the love potion," she said. "Dumbledore…told me that it was meant to be, that Harry loved Ginny, he just needed some help figuring it out. I was stupid."

"Mum, you're a lot of things," Bill said, "but stupid is definitely not one of them. You're just a hopeless romantic," he grinned, and Molly laughed tremulously.

"But we want to make it up to Harry," Arthur said. "Even if it means crossing Dumbledore, we'll do whatever it takes. As you know, Bill works for Gringotts. Well, he had a very enlightening talk with the goblins there. We may know where Harry is."

……

_Albus,_

_I've managed to locate the school. I can't write its location (there's a ward on it or something) but I can tell you that there's an abandoned medical clinic in Dunlap, Arizona. I've seen Harry, and I'm going to try and get him to a hotel called the Holiday Inn Express. It's very close to the school._

_There's a dance tonight, so I'll go after Potter then. By the time you get this letter, I'll probably have him already, so hurry. I've made the letter into a portkey that'll take you to the school._

_Wish me luck,_

_Nym_

……

April faded to May almost undetectably (especially in a place where it was no lower than eighty degrees year round), and the Sadie Hawkins Dance had arrived. Harry knew at once that this was no Yule Ball.

Instead of spending an hour attempting to put on his dress robes, he had dressed rather fast, showering and applying a small amount of hair gel to pull his hair into what Ginny called "messy but sexy". His attire consisted of a pair of black cargo pants and a dark brown long-sleeve button-up polo shirt (the first two buttons undone, Hermione insisted). Apparently, this was called "casual-dressy". Ron wore a pair of blue jeans and a black short-sleeve polo and had his now shoulder-length hair (he had been growing it out this year) pulled back into a loose ponytail that Valerie (his date) had gushed was "completely sexy".

"Well, it's better than your dress robes," Harry admitted, and Ron rolled his eyes, clearly trying to forget about that dark chapter in his life.

"And I've got a date that I can actually hold a conversation with," Ron said. "Don't get me wrong, Luna was nice, but she's a bit…spacey."

"Okay, boys, we're ready," Hermione's voice called from the hallway, and three girls stepped into the sitting room.

The two boys' jaws nearly hit the floor.

Hermione wore an emerald green halter-style top that Harry knew would attract ninety-five percent of his attention in the course of the night (she showed nearly as much cleavage as Valerie) and a black wrap-around skirt that fell a few inches above the knee. On her feet, she wore a pair of simple black sandals with a slight heel to them. Her hair was done up in a messy bun, a few tendrils framing her face. She wore two hoop earrings, one in each ear.

"Hermione," Harry growled, advancing on her. Hermione held up a hand, and he stopped, confused.

"I don't want to mess up my makeup," she said, stepping forward. "Just a small one."

Harry leaned in for a decidedly chaste kiss as he pulled away, Hermione leaned into his ear.

"Just so you know, I'm wearing a thong under this skirt," she whispered. "Play your cards right, and you might just get to see it."

Life was good, Harry decided.

Ginny had taken spiritedly to the concept of mundane "junior miss" clothing. She wore a deep dusky purple strapless number that flared at her hips, ending just a few inches below her knees, and matching ballet flats. Her hair was pulled back with a barrette, tucked behind one ear. She wore a single stud in both ears.

"You look great, Ginny," Harry said, managing to tear his thoughts away from Hermione's figure long enough to compliment the girl. "That color suits you."

"Thank you, Harry," Ginny smiled, turning pink at the compliment. She looked up and rolled her eyes at something over Harry's shoulder, and he turned, laughing at what he saw; Ron was having difficulty with Valerie's dress.

Valerie wore a simple black spaghetti-strap dress that fell to her knees and slingbacks in the same color. Her wrists were adorned with innumerable bangles, and she had several small gold hoops on her ears. A pearl necklace rounded off the look. He hair, black streaked with gold, hung loose over her shoulders. She was conversing with Ron, studiously ignoring the fact that he didn't seem to hear a word she said, his gaze constantly flickering to her chest, where the figure-hugging dress left little to the imagination. Harry walked up and whapped his friend across the back of the head. He abruptly looked up at Valerie, who was slightly pink in the face.

"Um…nice necklace," Ron said, making a passable attempt at hiding his real intentions. Valerie only giggled, kissing Ron on the cheek.

"It is, isn't it?" she asked. "So much so that you'll be admiring it all night, I assume?"

Ron blushed, and Valerie giggled again.

……

"Mr. Lewis, will you dance with me?" a girl asked, and Sirius grinned, shaking his head.

"I've two left feet, kid," he said, pointing across the room. "That boy's giving you the eye, though. You should ask him."

The girl looked in the direction he'd indicated, catching the eye of a short boy with blonde hair, who quickly looked away. Blushing, she strode purposefully toward him.

"Nicely handled," Harry said, on a break from dancing. Next to him, Hermione sipped at a cup of punch.

"Oh, I had a certain…flair for dealing with women," Sirius said. "Lily would constantly say I was quite gregarious and extremely demonstrative."

"Which was a nice way of saying that you were a playboy and had a new girlfriend every week," Remus said, joining them. "Some senior boys tried to sneak in alcohol. They've been dealt with."

Hermione glanced at her punch warily, pulling out her wand.

"_Specialis Revelio_," she muttered, to no visible result. Satisfied, she went back to her drink. At Harry's inquiring look, she smiled. "Haven't you ever heard of spiking the punch?"

"Ah," Harry said in understanding. He had seen something like that on the news recently. "Ready to dance again?"

Hermione gulped the last of her punch, and Remus took the cup from her. Sirius grinned as Hermione led Harry to the dance floor, where a mundane song by a man named Bryan Adams played.

"Oh, I love this song," Hermione said, resting her head against his chest. She sang along softly, and Harry mused that she had a rather nice voice.

They revolved across the dance floor, enjoying each other's company more than the dance. Hermione quietly sang through the entire lyrics of the song, which spoke of a man who loves his soulmate more than anything else in the world, and being with her was heaven. Harry was reminded of himself and Hermione.

When the song ended, Harry took Hermione's hand and kissed the back, and she giggled.

"Such a gentleman," she said, "but I have to spoil the moment. Bathroom."

"That's what you get for drinking four cups of punch!" Harry called after her, and she turned, sticking her tongue out at him.

Harry moved to a spot on the wall, observing the rest of the gymnasium of Denson, where the dance was taking place. The gym was nearly the size of the Great Hall in Hogwarts, and could thus handle just about any school function. Ron and Valerie were spiritedly dancing to a new song that had just come on, a more fast-paced techno song. Ginny was dancing with a group of students from her grade. Several of the boys were eyeing her appraisingly, but Ms. Chen was nearby, watching the group carefully. If anyone tried anything with the petite redhead, they would be sorely sorry for doing so.

Harry shook his head in mild disbelief at his position. Here he was, standing in what looked like nothing more than a gymnasium, surrounded by high school students, dancing to the latest pop club mixes. He felt so much like he was in one of those coming-of-age teen comedies where the boy realizes that he's in love with girl he's steadfastly denied being interested in for the entire movie. Generally, it ended in him running to the dance and rescuing the innocent and naïve beauty from the arms of the jock that was nice enough but had decidedly impure intentions.

"Thinking deep thoughts?" Hermione asked, jerking him from his ponderings.

"I just feel like I'm in one of those teen movies, you know the final scene where the guy goes to the dance to try and get the girl?"

Hermione smiled, leaning in. "But you've already gotten the girl," she said, moving to kiss him, probing his mouth with her tongue. She laughed in the back of her throat, pulling away and leaning in to his ear.

"Let's get out of here," she whispered, sending chills down Harry's spine. She pulled him out of the gymnasium and into the hallway, where she pressed him against the wall again, giving him another unbelievable kiss.

"You're affectionate tonight," he said, and Hermione only giggled.

"I'm getting into the romantic movie mood," she said, taking his hands and guiding them to her hips, then sliding them to her bum. "You play the role of the hero boy quite well."

"What was that line from that one movie we saw?" Harry asked. "'You had me at hello.'"

Hermione grinned. "Hello, Harry."

"Hello, Hermione," Harry said, leaning in for another kiss. Hermione eagerly returned, backing against the wall and wrapping a leg around him, pulling him closer.

"Hm, I love being this close to you," Hermione whispered. "It – "

She was cut off as a hex flew at her, which she just managed to dodge. Harry had his wand out and pointing at their assailant, but he dropped it to his side when he saw who it was.

"H-Hermione?" he asked, looking at the Hermione he had in his arms then back at the Hermione now advancing on them with her wand out.

"Get away from her, Harry," the new Hermione said. "That's not me."

"Harry, what's going on?" the Hermione in his arms asked, looking from Harry to her doppelganger.  
"Who is she?"

"You know perfectly well who I am!" the new Hermione shouted, not moving her wand away from her reflection. "The more apt question is who are _you_? Did Dumbledore send you?"

"Harry, I have no idea what she's talking about," the Hermione in his arms said. Harry was rapidly becoming confused. He pushed away the Hermione in his arms but backed away when the new one tried to move toward him.

"Harry, it's me," the new Hermione said. "Ask anything, and I'll answer – "

"Don't believe her, Harry," Hermione One said, looking imploringly at him. "She's probably learned as much as she can about me to try and fool you."

"Harry, trust me," New Hermione said. "She hit me with a Stunner, and she's trying to get you away from the school."

"_She_'s the one trying to lure you away," Hermione One said. "Harry, let's just go back inside and find Mr. Mason. He'll know a way to sort this out."

"Harry…" Harry looked at New Hermione, whose eyes were shining. "I…don't want you to get hurt. Please…."

_Hermione…._

"_Stupefy!_" Hermione One never saw the Stunner coming and flew backward, landing in a heap on the floor. The real Hermione quickly ran over and hugged him, burying her face in his chest. As Harry watched, the impostor Hermione morphed, taking a form of a young woman with short, mousy brown hair and a pale, heart-shaped face.

"A metamorphmagus," Hermione breathed, leaning up to kiss him. "Well, done, Harry."

"Sorry I didn't figure it out sooner, Hermione," Harry said, and Hermione shook her head.

"Don't worry," she said with a small smile. "She even had _me_ convinced for a moment there."

Harry chuckled as the gym door opened, letting a blast of techno music out before shutting.

"What is going on out here?" Leon asked, looking at the pair then at the form lying prone on the floor. "Oh, no fuckin' way. Dora."

Hermione's brow furrowed, then her eyes widened. "She was your girlfriend!"

"In a very loose sense of the word," Leon said, walking over while gripping his sword by the hilt. "The old man tricked me into thinking I was in love with her. What's she doing here?"

"She was disguised as me," Hermione said as ropes appeared from nowhere, wrapping around Dora's wrists and ankles. "She was trying to get Harry alone."

"Dumbledore," Leon said, looking over their shoulders. They turned, and Hermione gasped before making an angry noise.

Albus Dumbledore was striding serenely down the hallway, looking as though he had simply shown up late for the dance. A benign smile quirked his lips, and his eyes twinkled as they rested on Harry.

"I think, Harry," he said, "that it is time to go home."

* * *

Dun-Dun-Duuuuuun! It all comes to a head next chapter. And it's gonna be goooooooodIhope.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE; PLEASE READ!! **_I was pondering changing my name. Lord Cargyle is regal and all, but I was thinking something a little less ostentatious. Maybe L. Cargyle or something. Any opinions from readers are completely welcome._

_Also, my sincerest thanks to Edmond O'Donald and an anonymous reviewer for the ideas on the girls' dance attire. Mr. O'Donald, if you'd like, I'd be willing to write a one-shot for you, but you seem an able author yourself, so in any case, you have my thanks. And the anonymous reviewer, known only as "()", you're advice was most helpful._


	13. EP 2: Chapter 9

Well, this is it. The final chapter of the second arc of the story. I'll be taking an official break after this chapter before I start into Harry's fifth year. I want to take some time and work on my actual novels. However, I recently had an idea for a new fic that may end up being a nice multi-chaptered one, so that's nice. Anyway, read on!

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen:**

**At least I don't look like Great Aunt Tessie. She always wore men's cologne, though, so the smell…**

"Go find Ms. Chen," Leon said, moving to stand between the pair and Dumbledore.

"But – "

"Find Miss Chen," Leon said. "Tell her 'Code Orange in 4A'."

"'Code Orange in 4A'," Hermione repeated, taking Harry's hand. "Harry."

"Hermione, we can't just – "

"Harry, do you really think we're ready to fight Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, tugging on his hand. "We need to get help."

Harry looked at Leon, who hadn't taken his eyes of Dumbledore. The silver-bearded man stood quite casually a few yards down the hallway, looking at Harry.

"Harry, I must ask that you come with me," Dumbledore said, and Harry glared at his former headmaster. Leon gripped the hilt of his sword, nodding at Hermione, who dragged Harry away hurriedly.

……

"How have you been, Mr. Mason?" Dumbledore asked, and Leon grinned.

"Quite well," he said, still gripping his sword. "Sorry we didn't get a chance to chat last time we met up. I was in a rush."

"Oh, that's all right," Dumbledore said. "May I ask why you're attempting to keep Harry from his destiny?"

"Oh, a few reasons," Leon said. "First, I like the kid. He's a good guy, and his girlfriend's totally head over heels for him. He reminds me of a more mellow me from back in the day. Second, I want to defeat Riddle. I've heard about some of the stuff he did, and it wasn't too nice. And third," his grin grew more pronounced, "I just like messing with you."

Dumbledore chuckled good-naturedly, producing his wand. Leon blocked the nonverbal spell with a swipe of his sword.

"So, I guess we're done talking?" Leon asked, unsheathing his sword and running at the old man.

……

"_Stupefy_!" Hermione called, aiming her wand over her shoulder. The spell flew wide, and the girl called Tonks had her own wand out.

"_Impedimenta_!"

"_Protego_!" Harry shouted, and the sound of two forces colliding made her ears ring for a few moments. They rounded a corner and entered the gym through an alternate door. The same dance music pumped along, and the students were dancing quite exuberantly. The place resembled a dance club more than a school function. They lost themselves in the crowd, slipping through the gyrating bodies with their hands clutching fast to each other's.

"Miss Chen!" Hermione called. "Miss Chen!"

"Hermione, what's going on?" Ginny asked, hurrying up to the pair. "Are you all right?"

"Dumbledore's here," Hermione said, "and one of his agents is after us. We need to find a teacher."

"Dumbledore?" Valerie asked, following Ron as he joined them. "The headmaster of Hogwarts?"

"Val, have you seen a teacher?" Hermione ignored the girl's question.

"Mr. Waters is right over there," Valerie turned and pointed to a set of bleachers along the wall, where the Defense teacher was currently fending off several girls' requests for a dance.

"Mr. Waters!" Hermione called, figuring any teacher would be all right. "Mr. Waters! Code Orange in 4A! Code Orange! 4A!"

Mr. Waters's head perked up, and he was immediately all business. Smoothly slipping through the crowd of clamoring girls, he reached for his belt, pulling out a simple walkie-talkie.

"This is Muddy, we got a Code Orange in 4A," he said firmly. "Code Orange in Four-Alpha. Over."

"Copy," a voice came over the speaker. "China in 3B, moving to intercept. Muddy and Dixie, you're with me. Everyone else, crowd control. Over."

"Copy," Mr. Waters said, and this was echoed several times, presumably by the other teachers. To the students, he said, "Stay here. We've got this covered."

"But Dumbledore's got backup here!" Hermione said. "He – "

They broke off as a crash caused the entire gymnasium to shudder. There was a squelch over the walkie-talkie.

"Mayday!" came a female voice as the students quieted quickly. "Code White, Code White! Commence emergency evacuation plans – "

There was another crash, and a hole exploded in the gymnasium wall, a figure flying into view and landing bodily on the gym floor. The students screamed as Leon stumbled to a stand, drawing his sword and facing off with Dumbledore, who stepped through a door, wand drawn. He was followed by a round dozen men in blue robes.

"Aurors," Ron breathed. "Lots of them."

"He must have the Ministry backing him," Ginny observed shakily. "Leon…."

Leon stood shakily as a crack announced Ms. Chen's arrival at his side. Mr. Waters quickly headed for his boss's other side. Harry made to hurry over, but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"Don't!" she said. "You'll just get caught in the crossfire!"

"We need to do something!" Harry said, but he froze when he saw the pink-haired girl heading for them. He aimed his wand. "_Petrificus Totalus_!"

"_Protego_!" Tonks said, whipping her wand. "Just give up, Harry! You're not in your right mind!"

"My mind is perfectly fine, thank you," Harry growled, keeping his wand trained on her. "_You're_ the one who seems confused."

Tonks's face remained impassive, and she stared him down. "I don't want to fight you, Harry."

"Funny," Harry responded, "I'm considerably less conflicted about it."

Another wand rose in his peripheral vision; Hermione had drawn her own and was aiming it at Tonks. On his other side, Ron joined, as did Ginny, and Valerie moments later.

"I'm a trained auror," Tonks said. "It wouldn't be difficult to beat all of you."

"Show us," Harry said.

"_Stupefy_!"

"_Protego_!" Hermione shouted, and the curse was blocked. Ron dashed off to one side, Ginny to the other. Valerie followed Ginny, running further so that that five surrounded the auror. Tonks grinned.

"Fun," she said, raising her wand. "_Stupefy_!"

Harry shoved Hermione away, jumping the other way to dodge the curse. As they landed, they simultaneously shouted, "_Conjunctivus_!"

Tonks parried the curse, spinning to block a blasting hex from Ron.

"_Stupefy_!" she shouted, aiming at Valerie, who couldn't dodge fast enough and flew to the ground, unconscious. "_Stupefy!_" Ginny went down next, and Ron ran for his sister.

"_Rictumsempra_!" Harry shouted, and Tonks flew backward. Pressing their advantage, Harry and Hermione ran forward. "_Incarcerous_ – "

"_Protego_!" Tonks called, scrambling to her feet.

Harry raised his wand again when Tonks suddenly changed, and he was aiming at Hermione.

"Harry, don't hurt me!" she shouted, and Harry froze, stumbling over the spell on his lips. "_Stupefy_!"

He blacked out….

……

"So, instead of underestimating the adversary, you've gone hella overboard," Leon grinned around at the aurors surrounding himself and his colleagues.

"Leon, be careful," Emily whispered in his ear, and Leon grinned at her.

"You just take out the aurors," he said, readying his blade. Dumbledore raised his wand, and Leon spun the blade, blocking the blasting hex sent in his direction. "I got the old man."

He dashed forward, leaping over a slicing jinx, and spun the sword with a mentally shouted _Confringo_!

With a crack, Dumbledore apparated away, and Leon sensed his presence somewhere behind him. He followed Dumbledore, disappearing into shadows and reappearing directly behind the old man.

_Lanciare_!

Dumbledore flew across the gym, but with a crack, he disappeared again, reappearing near Leon, who spun and disappeared, reappearing near Dumbledore. For a few minutes, they traded movements, each trying to reappear faster than the other. Finally, a second crack accompanied Dumbledore's reappearance, and Hanson joined Leon.

"Took you long enough," Leon grinned. "Watch his movements."

Blocking a stunning spell, Leon ran at the old man, spinning. _Fetta_!

Dumbledore blocked the spell, disappearing again, but Hanson was ready upon his reappearance.

"_Confringo_!" he shouted, and Dumbledore blocked it, firing a spell at the Charms teacher, but Leon wasn't remaining idle during this.

_Fetta_! _Stupefy! Confringo! Fetta! Fetta!_

Dumbledore showed them why he was known as the most powerful sorcerer, blocking spells from both fronts. Leon growled.

_Un'alimentazione di mille pugni!_

There was a shudder throughout the gym as Dumbledore raised his want to block the spell, but it shattered his shield, sending him flying. Leon slumped to one knee, grinning weakly. Hanson dashed after the headmaster, but as Leon stood to join him, a veritable wall of aurors blocked him.

"Hey," Leon gasped, standing again, raising his hand in a small wave. He raised his sword.

_Lanciare!_

……

Hermione watched Harry fall, seemingly cursed by her mirror image.

"You…bitch!" she shouted, raising her wand. "_Confringo_!"

Tonks quickly dodged the Blasting Hex, and Hermione watched as her reflection morphed into Harry.

"Hermione, stop!" he shouted, and Hermione growled.

"_Stupefy_!" Tonks-Harry easily blocked the hex, raising her wand.

"Hermione, please!"

"You're not Harry!" Hermione shouted. "_Confringo! Confringo! Stupefy! Impedimenta!_"

Tonks faded back into herself as she dodged the onslaught of spells, looking as though she were dancing.

"_Stupefy_!" she managed a curse, and Hermione managed to raise her wand, but she didn't have time to form a Shield Charm.

She didn't have to.

"Oh, no yeh don'," a growling voice said, and an enormous shadow loomed over Hermione. "Whadya think yeh're doin' ter Hermione?"

"Hagrid!" Hermione cried in joy as Fang bounded over and sniffed Harry's unconscious form, hunching over him.

"All righ', Hermione?" Hagrid glanced over his massive shoulder at her. He turned back to Tonks, who was staring slack-jawed at him. "I think yeh be'er calm down 'fore yeh do somethin' foolish, Tonks."

"Hagrid? You…" Tonks looked completely perplexed.

"Some things've 'appened," Hagrid said. "Dumbledore's…not who we though' he was."

Tonks blinked a few times and shook her head.

"Bugger," she muttered.

"Hagrid, Leon needs help," Hermione said, and Hagrid pointed at the center of the gym.

"Not ter worry, Hermione," he said. "He's got help."

……

_Incendio!_ A massive ring of fire flared around Leon, and the aurors jumped back.

"_Confringo_!" two of them called, and Leon spun with a mentally shouted _Protego_!

He clutched the sword, holding his hand out at another auror. _Stupefy_! he thought four times in rapid succession, and the spells launched themselves at his opponents. Nearby, Emily was engaging two aurors of her own, and Paul (Waters) was just dispatching another.

"They just keep coming!" he called to Leon, who looked around at the other doors. The students had been evacuated, but that just left more room for the constant stream of aurors to file in and attack the four remaining teachers.

"_Expelliarmus_!" a guttural voice shouted, and Leon felt his sword fly out of his hand, landing with clatter several yards away.

"Oh, fuck," Leon said, looking up as a heavily scarred man with a peg leg made his way toward him, one hand clutching a walking stick, the other pointing a wand at him.

"Give it up, son," the man said, his voice more of a growl. "You're outmatched."

Leon held out his hand futilely. _Stupefy!_ he shouted in his head. "_Stupefy_!" he tried out loud, but nothing happened. "_Lanciare_!" he shouted. "_Fetta_!"

Well, this wasn't good. Leon backed against a wall, looking wildly around.

"All right then," Leon said, and made a mad dash for his sword.

He heard Scars shout something, and a sharp pain erupted in his leg, tripping him. Rolling, he reached his sword and gripped it. Looking up, he spotted Dumbledore, who was currently dueling Hanson. Standing on his hobbled leg (and deeply wishing that the Italian guy who gave him this sword had taken the time to learn a healing spell or two), he looked between Dumbledore, who had taken notice of him, and Scars, who was making his way over.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Scars shouted, but Leon was ready.

_Protego_! _Fetta_! Scars fell as his peg leg was severed. _Expelliarmus_! Scars's wand flew from his hand. As he turned to face Dumbledore, he was suddenly missing his sword again.

"Damn it!" he shouted, stumbling backward and falling on his rear, his leg giving out from beneath him. "Hanson, how we doing?" he called, and the Charms teacher shook his head.

"It's not lookin' good, buddy," he said, backed against a wall, his wand gone. Leon scanned his surroundings. Emily was squaring off with several new aurors, and Waters was engaging a few more nearby.

As Dumbledore readied another curse, a squeaky voice shouted, "_Everte Statum_!" Dumbledore blocked the spell with a flick of his wand and turned to face off with his new opponent, a very short man who probably came up to Leon's waist. Leon was forcibly reminded of Yoda.

"Filius," Dumbledore said amiably, "hello. What brings you here?"

"I'm here to stop you from ruining Mr. Potter's life," Filius said in his squeaky voice.

"Now, I know you're an excellent duelist, Filius," Dumbledore said, "but you cannot hope to defeat me singlehanded, if you'll forgive my arrogance."

"But he is not alone," another, much deeper voice said, and Leon glanced over at the source. He would have laughed if he wasn't in shock from the pain in his leg; this man was a complete contrast from Filius. He was tall, black, and had a single gold earring.

"Kingsley as well," Dumbledore said, bowing at Kingsley. "I wasn't aware that Minerva had contacted you."

"She did," Kingsley said, his voice calm and smooth. "You've crossed the line, Albus. Keeping secrets is one thing. Manipulating the boy is another entirely. Just because you believe you know what is best for everyone does not give you the right to force it down their throats."

"What I do is for the greater good," Dumbledore said, and Leon rolled his eyes. He'd heard that one before.

"You attacked a school!" another voice said, and Leon shook his head. How many people had discovered the location of Denson? He'd have to upgrade the wards! If he ever got his damn sword back. Where was it anyway?

"Minerva," Dumbledore said, now showing actual signs of nervousness. He had three clearly able wizards facing off with him. "We must – "

"Save it, Albus," Minerva said. "You lost your chance for explanations long ago. Kingsley. Filius."

They all raised their wands and pointed at Dumbledore, who closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly.

"Very well," he said. "I shall call off my pursuit of Harry. For now. Soon, though, he will have to play his role, like all of us."

"_Stupefy_!" three voices shouted at once, and three stunning spells shot at Dumbledore, who disappeared mere milliseconds before they reached the spot where he had been. The spells rebounded and flew off in random directions, striking down three aurors. The rest all looked up as though suddenly hearing their names called, turning and disappearing with a series of cracks and pops.

For a few seconds, the gym was silent as the remaining fighters looked around in confusion at the abrupt halt to the combat.

"Leon!" Emily called, and Leon hastened to stand as Emily ran up, helping him to his feet and pulling him into a hug. "We won!"

Leon shook his head. "No," he said, looking around at the gymnasium. "We didn't win. The old man decided to call it off for now."

Emily hugged him tighter. "But we all survived. If you had…. I don't know what I'd do without you, Leon."

"You'd make it," Leon said confidently, and Emily pulled away, smacking his chest.

"I'm trying to tell you I love you, you jerk," she said petulantly, and Leon grinned, laughing. He leaned in close, his nose touching hers.

"Have you always been this romantic?" he asked, cutting off her retort with a kiss.

……

In the end, there were no casualties on either side, though Leon's staff had managed to subdue and capture four aurors, which they immediately pumped for information.

Dumbledore had allied himself with the Ministry, filling the gaps left by the defecting professors with Ministry personnel. The Ministry, desperate for his help in the conflict with Voldemort, were completely willing to do what Dumbledore pleased (including loaning him some aurors for a retrieval mission to America). Hogwarts was to reopen as scheduled, on September first, though with the recent revelation in the Daily Prophet, attendance was expected to be at an all time low, parents unwilling to trust their children with Dumbledore. The situation was clear, though; Britain was a dangerous place for the Boy-Who-Lived and his ilk.

"So, what do we do?" Harry asked. The four teens, Sirius, Remus, Leon, Emily, Tonks, Kingsley, and the defecting Hogwarts staff had all gathered in the gymnasium the next day.

"I think the safest course for you would be to remain here," McGonagall said, looking extraordinarily odd in a mundane tartan dress as she sat on a bench next to Kingsley. "Your main concern right now should be to continue your education. We'll do everything we can against You-Know-Who."

"My people will help," Leon said. "Hanson's one of the best fighters ever, and I've got some friends who owe me favors. They know some guys in the military. Give me four months, we'll have a fuckin' army."

"An army?" Ginny asked. Leon nodded.

"How many times you think the old man's fought against a FAMAS assault rifle?" he asked. "Minerva's gonna get as many people in Europe convinced that the old man's totally gone batshit insane, and I'll get in contact with these guys in North America. We'll bring new meaning to 'strength in numbers'."

Harry nodded, and Sirius clapped him on the shoulder, grinning at him. It was summer, they had warded off Dumbledore for now, they had a solid plan to go against Voldemort, and they had some semblance of security for the time being.

For the first time ever, Harry felt confident about his summer.

……

**Episode Three Preview:**

These muggle houses all looked the same. No trace of originality, no hint of deviance from the norm. How like animals they were, all hiding in their identical caves. And he was hunting.

He smiled, and a little boy walking in the opposite direction stared at him in fear, then ran off. At least they showed some signs of intelligence.

He reached the house that was his destination. Number Four, Privet Drive. A house that looked exactly the same as its neighbors. He could feel the wards around the place. Blood wards, generated by the mudblood girl while protecting her child. _Love_ wards. So long as Potter was here, the wards would be active, and he wouldn't be able to even walk up the garden path.

But Potter wasn't here, and the wards were weakened. And now that he shared Potter's blood, they would be nearly nonexistent to him. He took a step, then another, resuming his calm walk up the garden path. The animals should be honored, really. Many _wizards_ didn't even get the privilege of having the Dark Lord call upon you personally.

He reached the door and briefly debated blasting it down. No, he decided. That would be barbaric. He would not lower himself to the same level as these creatures; he would demonstrate exactly why wizards were the superior race.

He knocked.

Moments later, a plain woman answered the door. She rather resembled a horse, he pondered. Her eyes widened in horror as she they rested on him, and she screamed.

The scream was cut short seconds later with a flash of green light.

* * *

When I first posted this story, I thought it would be an interesting little one or two shot about two teenagers who find love during a school dance. I had no idea that it would be so tremendously popular, netting me twenty reviews in the first few hours and innumerable author alerts and story alerts. As the reviews piled up, and I began work on a follow-up chapter, I considered the possibilities, eventually morphing a Yule Ball fic into what you have just read. Funny a world, isn't it? I will be taking a couple of weeks to gather material, then _Episode 3: Revenge of the Death Eaters_ will begin. Okay, just kidding on the title. But next chapter begins the summer, and what a summer it will be.

Thank you all.

Josh


	14. Interlude: The President and the Queen

A very nice scribe named old-crow gave me some advice on how to continue my story, and I took to his input spiritedly. This chapter has no Harry/Hermione; it is merely a show of the far-reaching consequences of Dumbledore's actions. So, without further ado, I present The President and the Queen!

* * *

**Interlude**

**The President and the Queen**

A large amount of people are unaware that there are two Presidents of the United States. The mundane President and magic President. Each has political power only on their own side of things, and rarely do they meet.

Britain is set up similarly. There is a muggle Prime Minister and the Minister for Magic. However, above them both, there exists the Queen. In the muggle world, she is a figurehead. In the magical world, she carries significantly more interest.

It was this woman that the President of the Magical United States was visiting today.

"Your majesty," the President greeted the Queen with a kiss to the back of the hand. "You look radiant, as always."

The Queen smiled. "And you're as good a liar as ever. The mark of a good politician, I suppose."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," the President said as the Queen sat at her tea table, gesturing at him to do the same. He sat. "So…. What are we going to do about this?"

"About what?" the Queen asked, and the President smiled, stirring his tea.

"Your Minister for Magic's unprovoked attack on my country," he said lightly. "I had half a mind to declare war on magical Britain, but in light of our relationship, I wanted to defer to you."

"I appreciate that," the Queen said. "Cornelius is…foolish as he is inept. I wanted to give him a chance to grow into his station, but it seems the only thing growing is that thick skull of his. He will be removed forthwith."

"Thank you," the President inclined his head. "And this Dumbledore character…."

"Ah, he's a slippery fellow," the Queen said with a wry smile. "It's my understanding that he led the attack. He seems to be holed up in that castle of his, and it's proving difficult to coax him out."

"Perhaps some of my Magic Special Forces may be able to help?" the President said. The Queen smiled.

"That would be nice," she said. "Also, I understand that you're harboring a person of interest to magical Britain."

"Harry Potter," the President said. "He is hiding out in a magical school in Dunlap, Arizona, to my understanding."

The Queen nodded. "He is free to leave when he wants to, of course?"

"Absolutely," the President said, sipping his tea. "The principal there is helping him study magic without having to worry about Voldemort or Dumbledore."

"And once Dumbledore is deposed, where will he go?" the Queen asked.

"I expect it'll take you a while to reinstate Hogwarts," the President said, "but the choice is completely up to him. He can stay in the United States or go back to Britain."

The Queen took a sip of her tea. "I will oust Fudge right away. I know a nice man named Shacklebolt who would be glad to take the position. He's a lovely man."

"Very good," the President said, eyeing the ripples in his tea created when he set the cup down. "And I will take care of Dumbledore. I expect we can get our friends in Japan to help; after we helped them with that gojira incident in Tokyo, I think they owe us. Them, plus my MSF, plus some of your more loyal aurors; that should be enough to take down Dumbledore."

"Oh, and one more thing," the Queen said. "I understand you captured quite a few of our aurors after the attack. I know I have no right to ask, but I beg you to defer to us on their punishment. We've already dealt accordingly with those that have made it back."

The President raised an eyebrow. "I suppose so," he said. "But don't make me regret it."

"Oh, trust me, the only regret will be on _their _part," the Queen said.

……

Seen in every magical newspaper worldwide:

_**Cornelius Fudge Stages Attack on United States! **_

_**Dumbledore Leads!**_

_**by Killian Michaels**_

_In what was to be the last move of his political career, Cornelius Fudge authorized a last-ditch effort by Dumbledore to bring the Boy-Who-Lived back to magical Britain. Armed with a battalion of thirty aurors, the Headmaster tracked down Denson Academy of Magic in the United States, where Harry Potter was hiding out, and invaded the school._

"_We were in the middle of our school dance, and there was this big explosion," one student said. "Then Mr. Mason crashed through the wall. He was fighting with Dumbledore."_

_Leon Mason, the principal of Denson Academy, evacuated the students as soon as possible and rallied the teachers against the onslaught. The tide only turned when several Hogwarts staff members appeared at the scene and managed to subdue Dumbledore, who escaped, taking the aurors with him._

"_We were caught in a stalemate," Paul Waters, the Charms teacher at Denson, said. "Each side would gain the upper hand, only to have it taken away. Soon, these three new guys showed up and cornered Dumbledore, and he evacuated. Took all his aurors with him, too."_

_The President of the Magical United States issued a public statement denouncing the Minister for Magic and calling for his immediate deposal, along with a request that Albus Dumbledore be turned over to the United States for crimes against the country._

"_It is deplorable that Albus Dumbledore think himself so above the law that he can just waltz onto foreign soil and stage an attack on a school full of children," the President said. "And Cornelius Fudge is no less at fault for his condoning of Dumbledore's actions."_

_Cornelius Fudge, by order of the Queen, has been stripped of his post and will be put in front of the Wizengamot for inciting international conflict. The fate of Albus Dumbledore is unknown, though rumors abound of a strike team forming to apprehend him._

Taken from page six of the Daily Prophet:

_**Hogwarts to Close for Good?**_

_**by Ophelia Rire**_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has long been considered a bastion of magical education, unrivaled in its approach to education of Britain and the surrounding area. However, it remains to be seen whether the school will ever open again._

_After the disastrous early end to the school year, parents were reluctant to send their children back to Hogwarts . Now, however, Hogwarts may not have any returning students at all._

"_We feel it is in the best interests of the public in general that Hogwarts remain closed for the foreseeable future," said Peter Bellamy, senior member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors. "After the disaster with the Triwizard Tournament, the Headmaster going around the twist, and rampant rumors of basilisks, mountain trolls, and vicious three-headed dogs, it is probably better that the school close down until such a time that we can assess the danger."_

_Predictably, reactions are mixed._

"_Hogwarts isn't dangerous," said Charlie Weasley, and alumnus of the school. "Sure, you can get into trouble, but who doesn't at school?"_

"_I think it's about time," said a student who wishes to remain anonymous. "I was attacked by a basilisk in my first year and petrified. I missed half my year!"_

_Many students are choosing to further their education in the school of choice of Harry Potter, who is currently attending Denson Academy of Magic in the United States. Others are going eastward, to Beauxbatons._

"_The situation with Dumbledore is unfortunate," said Beauxbatons headmistress Madame Olympe Maxime. "Let it be known, though, that Beauxbatons will welcome any student that wishes to continue their education."_

_Leon Mason, principal of Denson Academy, has similar sentiments._

"_Denson would be glad to take on anyone displaced by the closing of Hogwarts," he said. "We've actually had so many applicants that we're adding new on-campus housing. It'll have state-of-the-art computers in each dorm house, and a nice public bath, so you'll be learning in comfort."_

_As for this reporter, she fervently hopes that Hogwarts can be passed to a more responsible headmaster and reopened someday._

……

Meanwhile, in the skies above Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, four UH-60A RASCAL helicopters flew silently through the night, the normally noisy rotors magically silenced. Aboard the lead heli, six men, the finest trained of their respective countries, readied themselves.

"Okay, men," the leader, Izumi Morimoto, said through his com, "lock and load."

Aboard all four helicopters, the others sounded their affirmatives. The total number of men was twenty four, six to a helicopter. Eight were from Japan, hand-selected by the Supreme Sorcerer of Japan, on a favor called in by the President of the Magical United States. Eight were from the MUS, sanctioned by the president to capture the leader of the invasion that had threatened the nation's youth. Eight were from magical Britain, the few remaining aurors confirmed to not be involved with Fudge and his ilk.

The mission was simple: Invade Hogwarts and retrieve Albus Dumbledore. They had one edge, though, that Dumbledore didn't have; technology.

The helicopters' onboard computers, the soldiers' night-vision/thermal goggles, every bit of electronic equipment was equipped with a magical conversion battery that took in the ambient magical energy and converted it to a power source instead of allowing it to overpower the machinery. Thus, even in the magic-thick air of Hogwarts, their tech would work.

The helicopters came to a halt, hovering well outside of the protective wards on Hogwarts.

"Okay, sound the ready."

Twenty-three affirmatives sounded.

"Dropping in three…two…one – GO! GO! GO!"

Two men dropped from each helicopter, followed by two more, then two more, and they were all plummeting toward the ground.

"Coming to the wards in five."

Recently, Japanese scientists discovered that a fairly common stone known as cubic zirconium was capable of holding mass amounts of magic that could be released as required by a capable magic-user. This magic could be controlled and wielded as easy as any other, though without any fatigue on the user's part. Coupled with a time-released, computer controlled temporary ward-cancelling sequence, this meant that the vast stores of magic contained within a gem inlaid in each soldier's chest were put solely toward getting the strike team through the protections cast by the founders, with little more effort than it took to press a button on their wrists.

"Wards passed," rang out among the com. "Initiate landing procedures."

The cubic zirconium came into play one more time, this time activating a high-powered cushioning charm that made the otherwise fatal landing feel like falling onto a very comfortable mattress. Once every soldier had landed safely, Izumi readied his FAMAS assault rifle, several others pulling out M-40s, P90s, and their weapons of choice. The rest preferred to simply use their wands.

"Break into four squads," Izumi said. "Squad one is with me. Squad two," he pointed at a grouping, marking them blue on his Heads-Up Display. "You patrol the first three floors. Detain any staff, but _no casualties_. Squad three," he gestured at the next group, marking them green, "patrol floors four through seven with the same instructions. Detain but_ don't kill_. Squad four," he marked them red. "Take the basement levels. Copy?"

"Yes, sir," they all chorused.

"Move out."

They all ran for their objectives, and Izumi turned to his own squad, marking them yellow. "All right, team. We're going for the big fish. We'll check his office and all POIs in the castle. Let's go!"

They moved for the castle, Izumi activating the map grid that showed him the layout of the entire castle as provided by their air support. They reached the entrance area, the various groups moving for their separate objectives.

"Sir," his second in command, Jacob White, said. "Should we check the dining hall?"

"Good idea," Izumi said. "You and Goose, go to it. The rest of you," he said as the two Americans in the group ran for the door, "sweep the room. I don't want to be caught off guard – "

"Contact!" Goose yelled, firing her assault rifle at –

"A troll!?"

"Engage!" Izumi said, running for cover behind a large hourglass. He was joined by Masashi, the other Japanese of the squad, and they fired on the troll, their enchanted rounds ripping its hide to shreds. It fought on, though, taking wide swings at the two Americans as they ran for cover.

"Two more!" Goose yelled, turning her aim to two new trolls.

"Pull back to cover!" Izumi called. "Get a flash out there!"

He averted his eyes as White threw a grenade over his shoulder, then heard the telltale sharp explosion as the flashbang detonated. He turned his aim back at the trolls, who were clutching their eyes in pain at the bright light. Switching to his carbine, he aimed at the skull of the nearest one, firing. The high-powered round, plus the severing charm placed on the clip, made quick work of the troll's skull. The other two went down shortly after, courtesy of Wells and Alderman, their British delegations.

"Something tells me he was planning on something like this," Alderman said, catching her breath against one of the hourglasses.

"I don't think we've seen the last of resistance," Izumi agreed. "Be on your guard."

They moved for the stairs, their destination the Headmaster's office.

……

Dumbledore looked up in mild shock as one of the silver instruments clanked to life on the table near his desk. Green smoke billowed out, taking the form of three trolls, which disappeared in three consecutive puffs. Nearby, another instrument displayed five large spiders disappearing in a similar fashion, though the smoke was brown.

"Oh, my," he muttered, standing and heading for his fireplace. He threw in some floo powder, only to find the floo blocked. "Fawkes."

Silence.

"Fawkes!" the old man called.

Silence.

"Oh, my," he said again, pulling out his wand. "It seems I must stand and fight."

……

"Frag grenade out!"

Clank. Clank-clank. KABOOM!

Five spiders were ripped to shreds by the frag grenade, backed up by a blasting hex.

"Clear!" Squad Leader Gregors called. "Squad Three, fourth floor clear. Two civilians incapacitated, twelve hostiles eliminated. Moving to fifth floor. Over."

"Copy, squad leader," Commander Morimoto said over the com. "Over and out."

"Come on, team!" Gregors said. "We've still got to…" he trailed off as he spotted a man heading for them. A blue hat was perched on long, silver hair, and he had a beard to match. His flowing blue robes billowed as he walked, and he held a long, thin wand in his hand.

"Albus Dumbledore," Gregors said, stepping forward. "On behalf of the Ministry of Magic, the Queen's Magical Guard, and the United States government, I am placing you under arrest."

"An admirable task," Dumbledore said, raising his wand. "Forgive me if I refuse to 'come quietly'."

"Shoot to wound!" Gergors commanded.

A spell shot at the squad as they opened fire, a flash of red, and three of them were on the ground, unconscious. The other three, saved by the shielding enchantments on their body armor, threw three smoke grenades, though this was no ordinary smoke. Peruvian Instant Blackness Powder engulfed the hallway.

"Thermal vision on," Hiragawa, one of the remaining squad members said. They flipped a switch on their goggles, and the hallway glowed in blues and purples, a large blob of yellow and white marking the aged headmaster, who seemed taken off guard by the powder. "Open fire."

……

"This is squad two member Hana Hiragawa," a voice rang over Izumi's com. "Mission success."

* * *

There were a few misconceptions/questions regarding the last chapter.

Firstly, the story is far from over. The ending note last chapter was simply a sentimental moment on my part at the fact that so many people seem to like my writing. Last chapter was the end of the last arc or "episode" as I'm calling them now.

Seconly, the wards. Oh, the wards. I will admit that I didn't really explain them very carefully, or how Tonks and Dumby and his aurors bypassed them. Well, Leon's new to the whole warding process. He hasn't had experience setting up wards for a whole school (he's only been principal of the school for a few years, now. And there are no founders with Denson, just a group of teachers. As such, there are a lot more gaps in the wards than with Hogwarts. The way it was supposed to work was that each student carried an enchanted student ID that would allow them to discuss the location of the school with other students and to enter the school. Tonks managed to procure a couple of these, which allowed her and Dumbledore to enter the school, where Dumbledore immediately set to dismantling the wards, as he's a lot more experienced with them.

Thirdly, the beach. I was reading the beach scene after posting it when I realized that Arizona has no coastal areas and thus, no beaches. Whoops. So, for the story's sake, we'll just say that they portkeyed to the beach (leaving them open to attack, I know, but they were lucky). It's somewhere in California.

Fourth, Leon's loss of his powers, or lack thereof. I was originally going to have Leon lose his sword, thus losing his focal point and rendering him unable to use his magic. He was going to go on this grand quest to get them back, but then I realized that I was taking the focus from the Harry/Hermione goodness. And that's what this story's about in the end. Thus, Leon's sword is in one piece, and he's totally ready to kick butt if he has to.

If anyone has any other question, include them in a review, and I'll answer them to the best of my abilities.


	15. EP 3: Chapter 1

WOOO, still alive!

Sorry about the unusually long wait. Between writer's block and some slight inspiration for my novel/story thing, I haven't been able to write much, and I like to stay a couple chapters ahead. Anyway, this chapter kicks the rating up to M, but nothing too hardcore happens. It's just a precautionary measure.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Episode Three**

**Chapter One:**

**When I said "dress sexy", I meant that you should actually wear something**

Number Four, Privet Drive, was silent. The yellow police tape around the house swayed in the light breeze as three figures stood on the sidewalk, staring at the house.

Harry Potter was renowned as a brave wizard. Even disregarding his defeat of Lord Voldemort, his adventures at Hogwarts, and more recently Denson Academy of Magic, were hailed as the acts of a fearless man with a purpose. No self-respecting wizard would ever question the boy's bravery.

But as Hermione watched the shaking boy who stared at his former living place with wide eyes, she had to admit that all of that bravery paled compared to the courage he was exhibiting now.

"Do you want to go back, Harry?" she asked, and Harry looked at her, shaking his head resolutely.

"No," he said, his voice quavering. "I…I have to do this."

Hermione nodded at Kingsley, who led the way up the path, the couple close behind. A muttered "_Alohomora_" made quick work of the lock, and they stepped inside.

It was a nice house, Hermione observed, not cramped, but not as big her home. It was plenty big for a family of four, though. Hermione watched as Harry slowly approached the staircase in the entryway, the only sound coming from his footfalls.

"Harry?" she said in a hushed voice, moving to stand next to him. "What is it?"

He glared at a door that seemed to belong to a cupboard under the stairs, his breathing becoming shorter. As he did this, Hermione felt a pressure in the room, like they were in a rapidly ascending plane. She swore she felt her ears pop.

"Harry!?" Hermione asked as Harry gritted his teeth, finally yelling and kicking the cupboard with all his might.

The whole staircase shattered, and the house shuddered beneath their feet. Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry, hugging him tight. The pressure in the air lessened, and Harry gripped her tightly. Hermione felt a trickle of wetness on her neck; he was crying.

"Harry, talk to me," she said softly into his ear. "What happened?"

Harry shook his head, and Hermione squeezed him tighter. "Harry James Potter, you will tell me right now, or I will not let you go!"

She felt Harry shake as he laughed. "I could live with that," he said, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine. But…you won't like it."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't care. If something's causing you pain, I want to hear it. I want to be there for you."

Harry nodded. "When we get back to Denson, then I'll tell you."

With that in mind, they looked around the house. Voldmort had left no traces of is presence upon the house. Harry hadn't been expecting to find anything, but Hermione knew this was an emotional place for him. He hadn't elaborated on what exactly happened here, but Hermione knew that she'd hear later, and it seemed to give him some sort of closure.

As they left the house, Hermione stopped, glancing at the doorway.

"Harry…" she muttered, spotting a small shred of black fabric roughly the size of a galleon. "Look."

"You think it's his?" Harry asked, bending to peer at the swatch.

"Could be," Hermione said, pulling out her wand. She waved it once, summoning a small plastic bag and a pair of tweezers. "We might be able to do something with this."

"What, like on CSI?" Harry asked, smiling, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "I get to be Grissom."

"No, Mr. Shacklebolt's Grissom," Hermione said, straightening up, oblivious to the auror's curious stare. "You're…Warrick Brown."

"He has a gambling problem, though!" Harry grinned. "I'll be Nick Stokes."

"Fine," Hermione giggled, "you're Nick Stokes."

"Then who are you?" Harry asked.

"No, that's the theme song," Hermione said, and Harry laughed at the horrible pun. "I'm…Sarah Sidle."

"No, you're the Catherine Willows," Harry said as they walked back down the garden path. "She's way smarter."

Hermione smiled and kissed him as a slightly exasperated (though smiling) Kingsley held out the portkey that would take them back to Dunlap.

……

An awkward silence filled the room. And it killed Molly Weasley. Never had there been an awkward silence (hardly any silence at all, actually) with any of her children. But as Ginny sat across from her on a couch in the sitting room of their new apartment, she couldn't think of anything in the world to say. Neither, it seemed, could her daughter.

"Um…" Molly cast around for something to say. Her eyes rested on Ginny. "You…look well. You've gotten a tan."

"I've been spending a lot of time at the beach," Ginny said, her expression remaining impassive. Molly nodded.

Silence. Ginny glanced over at the clock.

"I've…done…terrible things," Molly said, looking at her hands clasped in her lap. "Especially to you. I told you all your life that you'd grow up to marry Harry. I never really gave you any say in the matter, never let you decide if that was what you wanted. Then I…. I'm so sorry."

Ginny's eyes were watering now, too.

"Mum," Ginny said, her voice quavering, "what you did is…inexcusable. You forced Harry to think he was in love with me and took advantage of my feelings for him. You had no right to meddle; I should be able to decide my own love life."

Molly sobbed, heaving a great sniff.

"But," Ginny said softly, "you're still my mum. And if you're truly sorry, then…I'll forgive you."

Molly let a weak smile, and Ginny took her mother's hand.

"Thank you, honey," she said. "And…you're free to date whoever you feel like. I won't interfere but to advise you against the rowdy ones."

Ginny chuckled, hugging her mum tightly.

_Well_, she thought, _it's a start_.

……

"You could have told me."

Valerie's hair was red today, very similar to his own. It looked better on her. They were walking along a random sidewalk in Dunlap, wandering aimlessly.

"I…didn't know how," Ron shrugged. "How do you tell someone that you're on the run from your home country and your best friend is Harry Potter?"

Valerie smirked, letting a laugh. "Well, I'll give you that. But…how much was an act? Is your last name even Weasley?"

"Yes," Ron insisted. "I never lied to you. I just…didn't tell the whole truth. I'm still Ron Weasley, and Ginny's my sister."

Valerie nodded again, smiling.

"And the goofy boy with the freckles that I'm starting to fall for?"

Ron felt his ears heat up, and he smiled at his shoes. "You think I'm goofy?" he said. "Is goofy good?"

Valerie giggled, taking his hand. "Goofy's very good," she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "Goofy's kinda cute."

Ron grinned, looking up to meet her eyes. "Then I can handle being goofy."

"And no more secrets?" Valerie asked, and Ron nodded.

"Ask me anything," Ron said, and Valerie giggled, taking his hand.

"Come on," she said. "I feel like a walk. I'll think of some questions then."

……

"Leon?"

Tonks entered the room just in time to see Leon hang up his phone. He smiled when he saw her.

"Hey, you," he said. "Good to see you've joined the good guys."

Tonks smiled. "I guess I was just another victim of the manipulative old coot," she said, walking over and sitting down across from Leon. "It's…good to see you again."

"Likewise," Leon said. "You look good." He pointed at her hair. "I see you've gone pink now."

"Right," Tonks laughed, "it was…yellow when we were in school, wasn't it?"

"Canary yellow," Leon chuckled. "I believe you called it 'house spirit'."

Tonks giggled. "You always complained that it hurt your eyes," she said. "Told me to turn it black."

Leon grinned. "And you, in return, turned it neon green."

They shared a laugh, and Tonks stood, leaning across the desk to press a kiss against his lips. She pulled back, and Leon looked away.

"I'm with someone else now," he said, looking back at her. "And…. Dora, you were my best friend back then, and I want that back. But the rest…was all the love potion. I love you like a sister, and the potion took that and warped it."

Tonks nodded, looking at her hands. "I know. I just kinda hoped that…. Sometimes the potion brings up latent feelings."

"Not this time, Dora," Leon said, and Tonks smiled a sad sort of smile.

"They say high-school romances never last," she said, her eyes shining. "Suppose it's true after all."

Leon stood, and in a wisp of black, he was next to her, pulling her into his arms. She gave a great sniff and nuzzled his neck.

"I'm so sorry, Dora," he said into her hair. She hugged him tightly, moving away and looking up at him, tears clinging to her eyelashes.

"It's not your fault," she said. "It's that…man. How does he sleep at night?"

"I've asked him the same thing," Leon said. "I don't think he sleeps. He's probably a vampire."

Tonks let a watery laugh and broke away from him. She sighed. "I suppose I'll be all right. I can't keep clinging to the past. I've got to move on," she told herself briskly, wiping her eyes. "I'm young, I'm pretty, and I'm outgoing."

"And so modest," Leon said, turning as a knock sounded on his ajar door, which creaked inward at the contact. He smirked at the visitor. "Sean O'Hara."

"Long time, no see, boyo," Sean grinned, spotting Tonks. His grin grew wider. "And a lady. Well, you're with Em, now, right?" he asked Leon.

"I am," Leon chuckled. "Tonks, this is Sean O'Hara, obviously. Sean, this is Nym – "

"Dora," Tonks cut across him. "Dora Tonks."

"Well, Dora Tonks," Sean said, walking up and taking Tonks's hand. "Is it forward o' me to greet the lady like a gent?"

Tonks cocked an eyebrow. "Not at all."

He brushed the back of her hand with his lips. "A pleasure. Boyo," he turned to Leon, "I got some news for ya, but if this young lady would be put out…."

"Can the news wait until tomorrow?" Leon asked.

"I'm sure a day won't hurt," Sean nodded.

"Excellent," Leon smiled, clapping his hands, "because I've just remembered that I have dinner plans with Emily. Would you be a friend and show Tonks around town tonight?"

"I'd be honored," Sean said, turning to Tonks, "if the lady would allow me."

"She would," Tonks said, smiling at Sean's decorum. "Have a lovely dinner, Leon."

"Back at you," Leon said, watching as the pair left. When they were out of earshot, he muttered to himself, "It's a start."

……

"How…? How could Dumbledore put you through that?"

Harry shrugged. He'd just spent the last hour relating his first thirteen years of life with the Dursleys, and Hermione had sat silently, taking it all in, letting him vent. She'd held him for a good portion of the time, kissing his neck when he'd faltered at particularly painful parts. Now, his story finished, Hermione sat in his lap, nuzzling his neck.

"It's over now, Harry," she said, kissing his jaw. "You never have to go back there again. Ever. And so help me, I'll make up for all of the love that they should have given you, ten times over."

Harry smiled, kissing her firmly and grabbing the hem of her shirt; she raised her arms so he could lift it over her head. She reached behind her, fiddling with her bra strap.

"I think it's about time you've met them," she said with a mischievous smile. She released the clasp, and the bra hung loosely around her shoulders. "Go ahead."

With trembling hands, Harry reached up and gently pulled the article of clothing down Hermione's arms, letting it fall past her elbows. He decided that he didn't like bras. He didn't like any article of clothing that covered two perfect objects such as these. He looked up to see Hermione blushing pink at his scrutiny.

"Hermione, you're beautiful," he said in a whisper, and Hermione smiled, kissing him. Harry brought a hand up and cupped her right breast, playing with a nipple, enjoying the reaction he got out of her. She hissed and arched her back.

"Aaah," she sighed, shuddering. "H-Harry," she gasped. "Use your mouth."

Gladly complying, Harry leaned in and captured the other nipple in his mouth, enjoying the texture and the flavor of her nipple. Hermione, for her part, went completely mad, heaving a huge, shuddering gasp and gripping Harry's head in both hands.

"H-H-H-Harry," she said. "That feels so good…."

She pulled Harry's head up and kissed him, eagerly probing his mouth. Harry reflected on what the kids back at Hogwarts would say if they could see the bookworm now, shirt off and mad with desire.

She broke away from the kiss, smiling at him. "Sorry," she whispered sheepishly. "Lost myself a little bit, there."

"No worries," Harry said with a grin. "I think I rather like it when you lose yourself."

She blushed, and Harry attacked her breast again, nibbling gently. Hermione whimpered, gripping his hair and running her fingers through it. "Oh…Harry."

The pair weren't seen for the rest of the day.

……

"Sirius."

Sirius looked up from the telly to see Remus holding that day's edition of the _Daily Prophet_.

"What is it? More news about Harry? They already reported the attack and Hogwarts closing. What else is there?"

"This," Remus said, handing him the paper. Sirius's eyes went wide, and he grinned.

**Albus Dumbledore Imprisoned!**

**by Killian Michaels**

_It was the trial of the century, rivaled only by the sentencing of Gellert Gridelwald (who, incidentally, was bested by Albus Dumbledore fifty years ago). Albus Dumbledore was tried by the International Confederation of Warlocks and found guilty of invading foreign soil, inciting national conflicts, twenty counts of aggravated assault, and a staggering five hundred counts of aggravated assault of a minor._

"_By attacking the school, you attacked every student attending the dance that night," the prosecuting attorney said to Dumbledore. "I personally find your actions deplorable, Mr. Dumbledore."_

_In a unanimous vote, the Confederation sentenced the former Hogwarts Headmaster to life in prison. The exact location of the prison is to remain confidential so, "none of his ilk will get any ideas about trying to free him," Confederation member Hanz Freytag said._

"_His ilk" includes Wizengamot member Elphias Doge, who is a close personal friend of Dumbledore's._

"_I think it's absolutely atrocious, what they've done to Albus," he said outside of his Lambeth manor early yesterday evening. "That man saved the wizard world during You-Know-Who's last reign, and they've thanked him by chucking him in prison."_

_Not everyone sympathizes with Mr. Doge, however._

"_It's about time," says Muriel Prewett, who has long been opposed to Dumbledore's views. "The man had a god complex and too much power to back it. It's about time he was put down."_

_The trial came following a retrieval mission conducted by an alliance of American, Japanese, and British "special forces" units, a sort of highly-trained aurors. Whether similar missions will be conducted in the future war against You-Know-Who remains to be seen._

_(For more details on the trial see, pg. 5) _

_(For more on the Britain-Japan-United States Alliance see pg. 9)_

_(For more on the public's opinion of Dumbledore, see pg. 12)_

"They finally put him away?" Sirius asked in disbelief. "What about Hogwarts?"

There was a knock at the door. Remus got up and went to answer it, leaving Sirius staring at the headline. Back in the day, Dumbledore had been their only hope for peace. Now, he was an international criminal, being held in an undisclosed prison for crimes against the United States. What else had he been hiding? What secrets rested only with him, never to be discovered?

"Dan and Emma are here," Remus said. "Harry! Hermione!" he called down the hallway, and Sirius grinned, knowing full well that he was giving Hermione time to put her shirt back on. Harry was a lucky pup.

……

"So, Albus Dumbledore," Kingsley Shacklebolt said to the abandoned headmaster's office. "What were you hiding?"

"All clear, Kingsley," Bill Weasley said, waving his wand at the room. "I mean, Minister, sir," he grinned. "He sure had the place warded up tight. That man likes his privacy."

"Well, he lost the right to privacy a long time ago," Kingsley said, watching as a team of American CSIs searching the room. They were apparently trained in many useful investigation methods, both magical and mundane. "And call me Kingsley, please. I've known your family since you were five."

"Speaking of which, Mum keeps asking me when you're going to settle down," Bill said. "You really didn't pick up any girls while you were over in the States?"

Kingsley laughed a deep laugh. "I'm married to my job, William," he said. He noticed a glow from a nearby cabinet. "And what's that?"

He walked across the room, accompanied by Bill and a CSI who noticed his attention. They opened the door and peered inside, finding a shallow stone basin with what looked like liquid air swirling around in it.

"Is that…a pensieve?" Bill asked, and Kingsley nodded. He'd known Dumbledore had one of these; he'd never actually seen it, though.

"Look at this, Mr. Shacklebolt," the CSI said, producing several bottles of the same liquid air substance from a drawer in the cabinet. "Memory strands."

"Confiscate the entire contents of the cabinet and check for hidden compartments," Kingsley said, taking a bottle and examining it. A label on it read "_12-3-1993—Severus Snape; Remus Lupin guilty?"_. "Bring the entire contents directly to my office, along with any other memory strands you find. This is a matter of state security."

"Yes, sir," the CSI said, beckoning several others over. Kingsley felt optimistic for once. Maybe they couldn't get anything out of Dumbledore, but they could certainly poke around his mind a little.

……

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," a cold voice hissed through the darkness, and Albus looked up to see a set of cold red eyes peering at him, a flat, white snakelike face curled into a smile. "Albus."

"Tom," Dumbledore nodded. "What brings you to this end of the world?"

"Am I not allowed to visit my old headmaster in prison?" Tom said, ignoring the use of his given name. He would not rise, not when he was the better in this situation. "You have no one to blame but yourself for this mess. Your misguided attempts at subterfuge and capture have been most entertaining to observe. Why, after my return, I was concerned that I would have to scramble to regroup my forces. You have proven an entertaining distraction, though."

Albus had to concede that point. "Did you want something, Tom? Or are you merely here to gloat?"

"I have…a proposition," Tom said. "You get your revenge on those that have brought you here, and I get my world."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I do not seek revenge," he said. "Only peace."

Tom sneered. "Your actions have signified that peace is not as high a priority as you say it is," he said, his voice no more than a whisper. "You have cause hardship and strife in the lives of hundreds just to get what you want. Just to get _me_, Albus."

"What I do is for – "

"The greater good?" Tom smirked, his voice mocking. "Albus Dumbledore and his 'greater good'. There is no greater good. Only what people want and what they are willing to do to get it at any given time. You…" he chuckled, a sound that carried no humor, "are just a foolish old man with misguided ideals and far too much influence. However, you seem to be under the impression that I'm giving you a choice. I'm afraid not."

He stepped back, and a tall, black-cloaked figure seemed to float into the room, sucking a ragged breath. Voldemort hissed something in Parseltongue that Dumbledore couldn't discern, and the dementor lunged at him, grabbing the former headmaster by the shoulders and clamping its gaping mouth down on his. There was a rushing sound, and Dumbledore went limp, the dementor dropping him to the ground, where he stared blankly forward. With another bout of Parseltongue, the dementor was sent from the room. Voldemort stepped forward. He'd been meaning to make another split, and what better vessel than the one that lay before him?

The prison echoed with the Dark Lord's high-pitched laughter as a storm carried on outside.

* * *

I don't know why, but I love writing Riddle's dialogue. He's so delightfully evil, but eloquent at the same time. And ZOMG, HARRY SAW BOOBEHZ!! _*spaz*_

Right, anyway, the idea for dementors speaking Parseltongue came from one of old-crow's stories, _Thank You Ms Bones_. I highly recommend that you go to his profile and check it out. It's a most entertaining read.

Until next time.


	16. EP 3: Chapter 2

I've decided that four thousand words is a decent length for my chapters, so that's how much I'm gonna shoot for from now on. If you feel that that's not a good length let me know (and have a good reason, not "I wanna read more", you greedy folks).

This chapter starts immediately following the last one, in which Dumbles had a bad day at the hands of Tom Riddle.

* * *

**Episode Three**

**Chapter Two:**

**Why can't I just dream about normal things? I have a perfectly beautiful girlfriend who would be more than happy to show me her lovely pillows while I'm sleeping.**

Harry sat up with a start, looking around his dark room. His breathing came in quick bursts, and he had broken out in a sweat, causing his shirt to cling to his chest.

His bedroom door opened, and he jumped, half-expecting Riddle himself to step in. Instead, Sirius walked into the room, clad in pajama pants and a T-shirt.

"Harry, are you all right?" he asked sleepily, yawning. "I thought I heard shouting."

"Just a nightmare," Harry said. Sirius nodded, walking over and sitting in a chair by the bed.

"D'you want to talk about it?" he asked. Harry shrugged.

"I dreamed…I was flying," he said. "Not a broomstick, but just flying. I landed at…a prison, I think. Then, I walked through some hallways, and I was looking at…Dumbledore. I spoke…. My voice, Sirius; it was like…hearing ice. I think I was…him." Harry shuddered at the memory, and Sirius placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I taunted Dumbledore. Told him he was a foolish old man. Then I spoke to a dementor that came into the room. I told it to 'hollow him out'. It…I think it took Dumbledore's soul. And then I walked up to Dumbledore and did this…strange magic…. And then it was like there was two of me. I was looking at Dumbledore, but at the same time, I was looking at…Riddle. Then…I laughed," Harry shuddered again, looking up. Remus had entered the room sometime during his story and had watched solemnly.

……

"Okay, there's an obvious theory," Leon said the next day after Harry had relayed the details of his dream, Hermione accompanying him in the principal's office. "We've already drawn the conclusion that the old man thought you had a bit of Riddle in you, right?"

Harry nodded, Hermione squeezing his arm.

"Well, that probably made some kind of…link between your minds," Leon said, making useless gesture with his hand. "Harry, do you know what Legilimency is?"

Harry shook his head, but Hermione perked up. Leon grinned at her.

"Why don't you enlighten us, Hermione?"

"Legilimency is the magical invasion of the mind to sift through thoughts and, if you're skilled enough, pick through individual memories," she said. Leon nodded.

"Exactly," he said. "Now, normally, Legilimency requires eye contact, but with this connection you two seem to possess, that doesn't seem to be the case. Now, as Hermione will tell us, the best weapon against Legilimency is…?"

"Occlumency," Hermione supplied. "It's sort of like walling your mind off."

"Exactly," Leon said with a grin. "Now, I'm not the best Occlumens ever; the guy I got my powers from never learned it. But Emily is pretty good at it. If you ask real nice, she'd probably be willing to teach you, if you want to learn."

"And that might help Harry stop having these dreams?" Hermione asked. Leon shrugged.

"That might be difficult," he said. "The mind is at its most uninhibited while sleeping, and thus hardest to control. It's worth a shot, though."

"Leon," Hermione said, "could Harry learn Legilimency from Miss Chen as well?"

"Yeah, she's good at that, too," Leon said. "Why?"

"Well, if Harry and V-Voldemort have this connection," she said, "Harry could potentially learn to use Legilimency to dig through his brain, right?"

"Harry would have to get unspeakably good at Legilimency to pull something like that," Leon said. "Riddle's probably a master Occlumens by now, so breaching his mind, even with your connection, would be tough."

Harry only smiled. "I think I'll give it a try," he said.

……

"So, you want to learn Occlumency _and_ Legilimency?"

Emily Chen looked skeptical, but she shrugged. She stood and walked over to the bookshelves in her office, drawing out two books and setting them on her desk. One was titled, _Legilimency: A Contemporary Study of a Lost Art_, the other, _Protecting the Mind: A Beginner's Guide to Occlumency_.

"Read these cover to cover in a week, and we'll get started," she said. Hermione eagerly gathered up the books and tugged Harry from the room, knowing she would like this teacher.

……

"Okay…um…what's Harry's number?" Ron asked, looking at Ginny, who rolled her eyes, holding out her hand for the phone.

"Ron, if you paid attention in Mundane Culture from time to time – "

"We haven't covered phones yet," Ron said defensively. Ginny dialed the number for Harry's home while Ron stood by and watched.

"Harry?" Ginny said after a few moments. "Ron was trying to call you, but I thought you'd like both your eardrums intact." She giggled. "You're welcome. We were wondering if you would like to come over. Dad just bought us something called a Playstation, and we're not really sure how to use it. …Games? I didn't know it took games. …Well, maybe we can go get some. …Of course. …Okay, see you then. Bye, Harry."

"He and Hermione will be over soon," she said, eyeing the phone in admiration. "These are pretty neat. If we wanted to call someone back home, we'd have to use an owl or a fireplace. This is much smaller." She smiled at Ron. "So, did you want to invite Valerie over, too?"

Ron blushed, nodding. "I was…hoping."

"Aw, ickle Ronniekins is in love," a new voice said.

"Valerie's her name?" another voice said. "Ronnie lurves Valerie!"

"Shut it, you two," Ron said, shoving Fred as he walked into the kitchen followed by George. The two had shown up yesterday, along with their mum and dad, and burst in on Ron and Harry's apartment. Apparently, Ron's dad had been offered a job Magical Bureau of Investigation's Pheonix office, in the Department for Responsible Use of Mundane Items, or DRUMI. It was similar to the Ministry of Magic's Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, except the United States took it a lot more seriously. He wasn't a department head, just a simple law enforcer, but it was still a significant pay increase, enough to allow them to lease a nice four bedroom house just outside of Dunlap. More importantly, they got to be near Ron as he continued his education. Fred and George seemed to be adjusting to the largely muggle-influenced United States, but Mum still only went out in public with one of her children or Dad as an escort.

As Ginny dialed Valerie's number, Fred moved to the fridge, grabbing out a Butterbeer (imported from Hogsmeade!) and another for George.

"So, did you see the paper?" George said, nodding at the table, where a copy of _USA Today: Magical Edition_ lay. The headline read _United States, Britain, Japan to Form Anti-Voledmort Coalition_. "Three countries against one Dark Lord."

"It's strange," Ron observed. "Over in Britain, everyone's heard of You-Know-Who and how Harry beat him. Here, though, he's just a name. They even say V…Vold…emort. No problem."

"He's just a name in a history book," Ginny concurred. "No, Val, just talking to Ron. …Yeah, here you go."

She handed to phone to Ron, who fumbled for a moment. "Valerie!"

"Indoor voice, Ron," Valerie said calmly.

"Right," Ron said in normal tones. "Sorry. Usually Ginny makes the calls."

"I can tell why," she sounded amused. "So, how are things?"

"Good," Ron said. "Dad's settling in well enough, but Mum's not used to all this mug—mundane stuff."

"Yeah, there's always a little culture shock," Valerie said. "So, you got a Playstation?"

"Yeah, Dad bought one the other day," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "The salesman said it was the latest in video gaming technology. Dad didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but he bought it anyway."

Valerie laughed. "Well, I'd be happy to come over and help you learn how to work it."

"Great," Ron said. "Harry and Hermione are coming over, too, so just get here when you can."

"Okay," Valerie said. "I'll be right over. Bye, Ron."

"Bye, Val," Ron said, looking at the phone in puzzlement before pushing the button that said _End_. That looked about right. He looked up to see Fred and George sporting identical grins.

"Aw, he's so adorable!" Fred said, clasping his hands in front of him. "Young love is so…."

"Sweet," George supplied. "And are those wedding bells I hear?"

"And the pitter-patter of little feet!" Fred added, cupping a hand over his ear as if listening intently to something. "We're going to be uncles, George!"

"But, Fred, I'm so unprepared!" George said, mocking terror. "How can I corrupt baby Ronniekins when _I'm_ not even fully corrupt!?"

"We'll manage," Fred assured him.

"Are you two quite finished?" Ginny asked, folding her arms over her chest. Fred and George nodded.

"We actually came in to say farewell," George said. "We're going job hunting!"

"Got to build up some venture capital," Fred said. "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes won't fund itself."

"Adieu!" George said, and they both left the room, leaving a ringing silence. Ginny shook her head.

"Those two are like a force of nature," she said. "It's no use fighting them."

……

Valerie arrived before Harry and Hermione (she lived within walking distance, while Harry and Hermione were across town), bringing with her a stack of small plastic cases.

"Playstation games!" she said when asked what they were. "My dad bought me one for Christmas, and I've gotten a few games since then. We should play Twisted Metal! It's fun!"

……

"Ron, get that napalm!"

"Which one?"

"The one right in front of—oh, Harry got it."

"_Incendio_! Eat it, Weasley! How's it taste!?"

"Honestly, Harry, are you going to say that every time you use napalm?"

"Yes."

Harry and Hermione had arrived, and Harry was playing Twisted Metal against Ron, who was being coached by Valerie (whether he wanted it or not). Hermione was leaning against Harry while she read some book about something call Legimency (at least, that's what Ron_ thought_ she'd said), while Ginny sat next to her and looked over her shoulder.

"This sounds really complicated," she said, and Hermione nodded.

"It's some of the most complex magic there is," she said, and Ginny shook her head.

"And you and Harry are learning it?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione said proudly, smiling at Harry. "Harry and I both."

"And what good will Occlumency and Legilimency do you?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Well, it's always good to be able to protect yourself from…mental invasion," Hermione said, faltering as she noticed the flash of fear on Ginny's face. "Ginny…."

"It's okay, Hermione," Ginny insisted. "You're right. You wouldn't want the wrong sort getting into your head."

……

Meanwhile, halfway across the world, Kingsley Shacklebolt had just emerged from his latest perusal of Dumbledore's memories. He stood there numbly for a few seconds, unable to process the information he'd just received.

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…._

Nearly fourteen years ago, Voldemort had been all but defeated…

_Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…_

…by the son of Lily and James Potter, who were active opponents of Voldemort, a child born July 31st…

…_and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal…_

…leaving the boy with only a lightning bolt scar….

…_but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives…._

Kingsley finally slumped into his chair. Harry James Potter, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy, was seemingly their only hope against the most powerful Dark Lord of the era.

As if things weren't complicated enough already.

His office door burst open, and Auror Dawlish ran in, looking absolutely frantic.

"Forgive my intrusion, Minister," he gasped, "but we have a problem! Giants! In Diagon Alley! Th-they're tearing the place apart!"

……

"Stunners on three! One…two…th-LOOK OUT!"

The squad of aurors, scattered as a fist the size of a muggle school bus slammed down to the ground, the bearer of the limb roaring in fury at having missed.

"This is impossible!" Auror West yelled. "There's a dozen of these guys! We can barely handle one!"

"I don't—what's that sound?"

A rushing sound filled the air, growing louder and louder until it was almost deafening. Over the din, they could just make out a voice with an American accent coming from behind them.

"We need to get to a safe point!"

They turned to see a man in muggle camouflage clothes, his hair cut into a buzz. He was wearing protective ear coverings, and he handed them each a set. When they had put them on (effectively cutting off all sound), the man held out a large canteen, motioning for them to touch it. They did so, and few seconds later, the world was a blur.

When they reached their destination, Auror West looked around. It was a very simple olive green tent with what looked like muggle computer screens set up all over.

"What's going on?"

"_This is Goblin Squadron to base_," a voice said over a radio speaker sitting on a table. "_ETA is thirty seconds, requesting permission to engage._"

"Copy, Goblin Squad," a man said, eyeing the computer screen. "All civilians have been evacuated. You are clear to engage."

"_Copy_," the voice said. "_Goblin Squad out_."

"To answer your question," their rescuer said, turning to West. "Goblin Squad is about to annihilate your giants."

……

"Goblin One to squad," Reggie Lowenstein said over the com, "green light to engage. Over."

"Copy, Goblin One," five other voices rang out.

Reggie eyed his targeting screen, which had picked up two targets.

"Goblin One firing Mavericks and two on hostiles," he said, flipping a switch and pressing two buttons. As he did, a huge hand loomed into view, and he gripped his joystick, twitching it to the right, pulling just out of the giant hands reach. Moments later, the hand dropped as a missile's homing charm guided it straight to the giant's head, toppling it. The giant next to it met a similar fate as a missile ripped through its skull, detonating moments later.

"This is Goblin One, two hostiles down," he said.

"Goblin Five," another voice said. "Two more hostiles down."

"Goblin Two firing Maverick one," another voice said. "One more hostile down."

"All right," Reggie said, "let's give 'em another pass."

"Copy," the other voices rang out. The squad swept up, turning for another pass. They flew over the giants again, releasing another barrage of Maverick missiles. Suddenly, on Reggie's HUD, one of his units flashed yellow.

"Mayday! Goblin Three, one of 'em caught me!"

"Bail out, Goblin Three!" Reggie said. "Someone get a missile in that thing!"

"Copy, Goblin One!" Goblin Four said. "Firing Maverick."

"Goblin Three, ejecting!" Goblin Three said, and Reggie's HUD flashed a red symbol indicating one of his squad was in danger.

"Did we get 'em all?" he asked.

"Negative," Goblin Two said. "One giant is still active."

"Not for long," Goblin One said. "Hang in there, Nick," he said to Goblin Three.

……

Nick Lawrence loved his job; he really did. He got to fly around in a heavily enchanted F-16 "Fighting Falcon" and blow things up. However, as he stood in front of a giant that had to be about eighty feet tall, he mused that it might be time for an early retirement.

The giant raised a fist, clearly intent on smashing him, and Nick couldn't make himself focus enough to apparate away. Suddenly, however, the giant's fist was hamburger meat. A rushing filled his ears as another F-16 flew overhead, followed by two more, the latter two immediately launching a barrage of missiles that ripped the giant apart.

He loved his squad.

……

_**Giants Attack Diagon Alley!**_

_**Is nowhere safe?**_

_**by Killian Michaels**_

_The months leading up to the summer were apparently the calm before the storm, and what a storm it is. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has opened his assault on the wizard world with an attack on Diagon Alley. The perpetrators: one dozen giants._

_Diagon Alley was left in ruins by the mammoth beasts, as they ripped apart shops, decimated buildings, and left all-around destruction in their wake. Thankfully, no fatalities have resulted, due in part to a failed anit-portkey ward placed around Diagon Alley._

"_We found ambient traces of anti-portkey magic," said an investigator an hour after the incident. "It's likely a Death Eater attempted to place a ward but didn't want to run the risk of being stepped on by a giant."_

_Still, Diagon Alley shoppers and shopkeepers owe their lives not only to inept Death Eaters but to the prompt response of the newly formed Death Eater Response Team._

"_In light of the recent success of the Japan-United States-Britain Alliance in apprehending Dumbledore, Britain appealed to the two countries to help eradicate the Dark Lord once and for all," Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt said last week. "The United States was happy to help, and the Supreme Magical Emperor of Japan stepped up as well because of a favor the United States did for them a while back."_

_The International Dark Eradication Alliance, or IDEA, was then formed with the objective of stopping not just You-Know-Who, but "all of those who would use Dark magic for evil or destructive purposes." Already, Australia, South America, and Canada are in talks to join IDEA._

"_I feel that this alliance will really help us stop men like Lord Voldemort from reaching the level of power and influence that he has," the President of the MUSA said early yesterday evening. "And hopefully, we'll be able to head off any more attacks like the one on magical London."_

_Whether this will go to plan remains to be seen. As for this reporter, his heart goes out to those affected by the attack._

……

"IDEA?" Harry asked, furrowing his brow at the headline. "That's not a bad acronym."

"Right?" Leon asked, grinning at the cover. "Aw, man, I wish I coulda been there. Giants and F-16s firing missiles."

"But the best part is, no fatalities," Shacklebolt said, smiling. "Thanks to the Americans. I'll have to send a thank-you to your president," he nodded at Leon. "And…there's something more," he looked at Harry. The three of them had gathered in Leon's office after the Minister had made a surprise visit. "Something that concerns Harry alone."

Leon nodded, standing. "I'll just wait outside." He gave Harry a significant look that he took to mean, _I won't be going far._

When Leon had left, Shacklebolt sighed and slumped into the principal's vacated chair. Harry felt bad for the man; he clearly had a lot to worry about between Riddle and the recent business with Dumbledore.

"Harry," Shacklebolt said, his calm voice wavering slightly. "There's…been a discovery."

"A discovery, sir?"

Kingsley nodded, looking grave. "What do you know of prophecies, Harry?"

* * *

Who wants to count how many times I used "Occlumency" and "Legilimency"? Well, it looks like Harry's about to be educated in regards to his destiny. How will he respond?

And F-16s killing giants! I just love military stuff like that, even if I'm not too good at writing it. And Goblin Squadron. I figured if mundane military squads are named after animals, then magical F-16 squads could be named after magical creatures.

Until next time!

**[][]Bonus story![][]**

_scout-01 made a comment that she would like to see a story concerning only Leon, so I figured I'd write a little scene with him and Emily. Thus, here's shopping with Leon and Emily. It is in no way essential to the plot, so feel free to skip it._

"So, what about these?" Leon asked, eyeing himself in the full length mirror. He saw Emily shake her head. "What's wrong with them?"

"Too snug," she replied. "They hug everything."

"That's the idea," Leon grinned. "I figured you'd like it."

Emily giggled. "Well, they are incredibly sexy," she admitted, "but I'm thinking about you. You hate tight clothes. Those pants would drive you nuts after five minutes of wearing them. I can see they are already; you keep shifting around."

Leon rolled his eyes. "How did you not realize you were madly in love with me sooner? You pay so much attention to everything else."

Emily smirked. "I started to now and then," she said, "but then you'd do or say something incredibly stupid that made me ask myself 'Am I really falling for _him_?'."

Leon grinned, moving to kiss her. "I guess I'm lucky I kept my mouth shut long enough, then."

"Very lucky," Emily smiled, and Leon leaned into kiss her neck, nibbling on a spot just below her jaw.

"Public," Emily whispered, and he broke away, pouting. "Oh, go put your pants back on."

"If I had a dime for every time you've said that to me…" Leon grinned, and Emily smacked him on the arm. He disappeared into the dressing room, reappearing moments later with his baggy cargos back on.

"Okay, now for some tank-tops," Emily said, and Leon shook his head.

"Nope," he said. "You know I don't wear tank-tops."

"Aw, don't be a baby," Emily said, dragging him toward the rack where they had sleeveless shirts. "Just because your arm looks a little unusual."

"Emily, my arm changes abruptly from almost unnaturally pale to freakishly pale," Leon said, holding up the arm in question. "I'd rather not give people an excuse to stare."

"Just because you got a prosthetic," Emily insisted, "doesn't mean you should hide your arm. Yeah, it's a little unusual-looking – "

"And cold to the touch," Leon said, and Emily shook her head.

"Well, _I_ don't mind that," Emily said. "Leon, I love _you_. _All_ of you. You lost that arm saving my life, and I'm thankful every day for that. You have no reason to be ashamed of that arm. And if anyone gives you crap for it, I'll hex their ears to turnips."

Leon chuckled at that, and Emily took his arm (the real one) and dragged him the rest of the way to the clothing rack. She went straight for a shirt, but Leon shook his head.

"Nuh-uh!" he said. "I am _not_ wearing pink!"

"Aw, it's the new black!" Emily insisted.

"Then I'll go classic and wear the old black," Leon said, reaching for a black shirt. Emily pouted, and Leon shook his head.

"Tell you what," she said, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "Every day you wear a pink shirt, you get to see me _without_ mine."

Leon went home with four pink shirts that day.


	17. EP 3: Chapter 3

HI! How we doing? Good? Excellent. Sorry 'bout the late update; I was getting my wisdom teeth ripped out. Fun. Anyway, I'll skip the lengthy introduction and just tell you "Enjoy the chapter!"

I was lazy proofreading this one. Bad Cargyle.

* * *

**Episode Three**

**Chapter Three:**

**You say there is no good or evil, but only the evil guys say that.**

"So, Wilco, whatcha got?"

Eric Wilco turned to face his visitor, Marge Yates. Eric was tall and gangly, a bean pole, to use a cliché. His close-cropped hair was strawberry blonde, and he seemed to have a perpetual tan, despite spending all of his time indoors. Marge, by contrast, was short and stocky, though not plump; she swam a lot and kept in pretty good shape.

Eric turned to a piece of paper that was printing at that very moment, ripping it from the printer.

"You're just in time, actually," he said. "I tested some epithelial cells we managed to collect from the cloth, but we had to use a lot of magic to restore them, so we can't get a proper magical signature from them. However, I can tell you that this is no ordinary human."

"Well, we all know that," Marge said. "It's Lord freakin' Voldemort."

Eric rolled his eyes; so unprofessional.

"His body is a magic combination of bone, flesh, and blood," Eric said. "My guess is he used some kind of weird ritual to conjure himself a homunculus."

"A homunculus?" Marge asked, cocking an eyebrow. "You lost me."

"A homunculus," Eric explained, "is like a dummy body. It lacks a lot of the little details: finger and toenails, a navel, most internal organs like reproductive and digestive systems, that sort of thing."

"So, he's like a Ken doll?" Marge asked. Eric sighed.

"In laymen's terms, yeah," Eric said. "The body subsists mostly on magic, which is why only the most powerful wizards even attempt it. But…there's also another reason," he suddenly looked thoughtful, as though just realizing something. "Would he…? Could he…? How could he…?"

"Eric? You lost me again," Marge said, waving a hand in front of Eric.

"In order to even be able to occupy a homunculus," Eric said. "You have to have managed to separate your own soul from your original body. The only way to achieve that is to…anchor it. That's what horcruxes are for. But…almost no one knows how to make a horcrux."

"What's a horcrux?" Marge asked, completely lost now. Eric shook his head slowly, barely paying attention.

"It's bad," he said. "Making a horcrux basically involves splitting your soul."

"Wait…like your soul as in…your _soul_?"

"Yeah," Eric said. "Barely anyone knows the rituals involved. It's like the worst of Dark magic. I know one of the prerequisites is killing someone in cold blood. But…Voldemort must have one, because when Harry Potter beat him, he didn't die. His soul stayed behind, and he fashioned himself a new body."

Marge nodded. "Then we need to tell the Minister of Magic about this. Good job, Eric."

She rushed from the DNA lab, leaving Eric wondering how someone could care so little about his soul.

……

Harry stared blankly ahead as he watched the ghostly form of Professor Trelawney sink back into the stone pensieve, having just recounted a prophecy saying that either he or Tom Riddle would die.

"Harry…" Kingsley began, but Harry shrugged.

"Nothing new, isn't it?" he asked, and Kingsley looked thrown for a moment. "I mean, he's been trying to kill me since I was born. He probably already knows about it as well, at least that I have the power to kill him."

Kingsley looked completely at a loss now. Harry could sympathize; most boys his age wouldn't take this sort of news in such a composed fashion. Then again, Harry was far from normal, even for a wizard.

"Mr. Shacklebolt, in my first year, I met Lord Voldemort and defeated him," Harry said, staring at a point over the Minister's shoulder, "stopping him from returning to life. Second year ended similarly, though that time I killed a basilisk as well. Third year, I didn't actually meet Voldemort, but I did witness events that would lead to his return, which I witnessed in fourth year. The two of us have been at this for a while. I appreciate you telling me, though."

Kingsley shook his head, placing his head in his hand. "Well, Mr. Potter, I can honestly say I've never met another boy like you. Whatever the case, if you need anything done, the Ministry of Magic will gladly carry out whatever you want, and I'm sure the United States and Japan have the same to say."

Harry nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"Now, on a more personal note, I want to apologize for Albus Dumbledore's conduct," Kingsley continued, and Harry nodded.

"We all trusted him," Harry said. "Apparently, that wasn't the smartest thing."

"Quite," Kingsley said with a wry smile. "However, know that the right people are in charge in the Magical Britain now. I encourage you to continue your education here, but know that once the war is over, we'll welcome you back with open arms."

Harry nodded. "I'd love to return someday. Britain, Hogwarts…it's all my home…. But things need to change."

"They already are, I assure you," Kingsley said. "The Ministry is tied up in its own asinine traditions, but we're slowly dismantling them. Any input on your part would be welcome."

"Respect," Harry said immediately. "Purebloods are stuck in their haughty, holier-than-thou traditions when they have no right to be. My girlfriend is a mundane-born, and she's the brightest witch of her age. Draco Malfoy, who's a pureblood, is average at best. They're no better, and it's time to knock them down a few pegs. Make the Ministry equal-opportunity."

Kingsley nodded, but Harry wasn't done; he'd spoken with Hermione at length about the changes that need to be made.

"Reach out to the sentient magical creatures as well," Harry said. "Centaurs, goblins, even giants. They all have their own unique talents that can be put to good use if we just give them their due respect."

Kingsley once again nodded, making a note to make a trip to Gringotts and have a chat with Ragnok about coming to some sort of treaty.

"And lastly," Harry said, "embrace some mundane culture. I've seen magic-users over here using walkie-talkies, televisions, computers, even fighter planes, all powered using magical energy. Just because Britain was one of the first magical countries doesn't mean we have to remain the way we were back then technology-wise."

Kingsley nodded once more, and Harry seemed to be finished with his spiel. There was a knock at the door, and Leon poked his head in.

"If we're finished in here, Minister, you have a message," he said, "and Harry's quidditch practice starts in twenty minutes."

Kingsley stood and extended a hand, and Harry took it.

"Then I'll take my leave," he said. "Best of luck in your studies, Harry."

He walked from the room, leaving Leon staring after him.

"I've got to admit," the principal said, "they picked a good Minister of Magic. Shacklebolt's so cool, his _hair _is too insecure to be seen with him."

……

The library was quiet, but not like Hogwarts's library. In Hogwarts, Hermione would hear whispers, hushed voices, occasionally a secluded couple having a "moment". This library wasn't hushed; it was empty.

Denson was kept open during the summer in case any students needed to use the facilities for summer projects or reports. In Hermione's case, she simply loved the amazing amount of books the place offered. Running her hand over the spines of the books, she smiled as she literally felt one call out to her, as happened so often.

"Hello," she whispered, drawing the book from the shelf. "Got something to tell me?"

The title across the book read _Magical Developments of the Twentieth Century._ She opened it to the glossary (a welcome change from the haphazardly constructed Hogwarts texts) and looked down the list. One item in particular struck her as intriguing.

_IX.a –Magical Binary_

"Magical binary?" she whispered.

"A fascinating development," the familiar voice of Leon Mason said, making her jump at his sudden arrival.

"Leon," she said, turning to smile at the principal, who chuckled.

"Did I scare you?"

"Of course not," Hermione said in a tone so fake casual that it didn't even fool her. "You…surprised me."

"Semantics," Leon shrugged, nodding at the book. "Ever hear of magical binary?"

Hermione shook her head, clutching the book to her chest. "That's a new one."

"Well, you've heard of the magical storage properties of cubic zirconium, right?"

Hermione nodded. "They're used with enchantment of muggle items so they can be powered with magic, and they're also useful when a magic user needs a power boost."

"Right in one," Leon said, ruffling her hair playfully. She ducked and bopped him on the shoulder. "Now, cubic zirconium is nearly limitless in its magic storage capabilities. And since it's raw magic, it can be utilized in any way. That's where magical binary comes in." He held out his hand. "May I?"

Hermione held out the book for him, and he opened to a page, showing Hermione a diagram of a series of numbers and symbols, slashes, letters, all looking like so much computer gibberish to her.

"Someone who understands magical binary can program a magical hub," he flipped to the next page to show a small square chip wired to a cubic zirconium, "to channel the magic to do _anything_, as long as the crystal has enough magic in it. This string," he turned back to the previous page, "is the code for light. That is the binary for _lumos_."

Hermione stared at the book in fascination. "How do you learn binary? Is there a book that has it, or a website? Wait, no, wizards don't have an internet yet. What about – "

"Easy," Leon said, chuckling. "This book," he reached up and grabbed a book off a higher shelf, handing it to her, "is a basic introduction into the language of magical binary. It also mentions a mail order service that can provide you with what you need to make your own magical hubs."

Hermione grinned at book, positively quivering with excitement. She couldn't wait to learn as much as she could and try to make her own hubs. The possibilities seemed endless!

Leon's watch beeped, and he checked it, his eyes widening. "Ah, dang it. I need to get to a meeting."

"Order meeting?" she asked, and Leon nodded, rolling his eyes.

"Bunch of old windbags who love to hear themselves talk about what they're planning on doing," he said. "They've inducted a lot of new members since last time, though, so maybe new blood is what the doctor ordered."

"Good luck," Hermione said, smiling at him. Leon nodded and disappeared in a wisp of black smoke. Hermione stared the cover of the book, debating starting on it now and risking getting lost in the pages. A glance at her watch told her that Harry would be done with quidditch practice pretty soon.

"You'll have to wait," she said to the books, tucking them in her backpack and heading for the door. "Boyfriend before books."

……

Minerva McGonagall had seen her fair share of Order of the Phoenix meetings in her time, during both past and present incarnations. Having such a varied group of witches and wizards in one place generally yielded odd results, especially when the founder was one of the most eccentric men of modern time.

However, even without Albus Dumbledore, this meeting definitely made the top three in terms of "weird".

Next to Minerva sat young Leon Mason, his chair back, his legs propped up on the table. Next to Mr. Mason was his best friend, Sean O'Hara, who was in conversation with a blushing Nymphadora Tonks (even her hair was red). Seated around the rest of the table was most of the rest of Mr. Mason's staff, along with several Japanese, American, and British wizards. There were even some delegations from Australia and France. All were gathered in the dining hall in Hogwarts, which was the new headquarters, as well as the British outpost of the IDEA.

"This meeting of the Order of the Phoenix will come to order," Minerva said, standing. "Thank you all for coming. I notice that we have…a few new additions."

There was a rumble as the room's occupants chuckled; they had nearly tripled in number since the last meeting.

"For those of you who did not hear, the IDEA will be working closely with the Order of the Phoenix while we work to eradicate Tom Riddle. I'd like to welcome their delegations," she gestured at the new arrivals, and the returning members gave a polite smattering of applause. "Further, we – "

"Sorry we're late," a deep, throaty voice announced, and all heads turned to the entrance of the great hall, where five goblins currently stood, clustered at the entrance.

"…will be working with the goblins, who have sent their own representatives," Minerva finished. "Welcome, Grotrog. Please, join us."

She drew five more chairs, and the goblins made their way across the hall, watched by the humans, who all wore very different expressions. Most of the British had their eyes narrowed in suspicion, while the Japanese and Americans seemed mildly curious. The Aussies were grinning, one nudging another and obviously saying something amusing, as the other chuckled. The French looked mildly frightened.

"Grotrog here has information that may be of use to us," Minerva said. "Grotrog, you have the floor."

"Thank you," Grotrog said, standing on his chair, though his short stature meant that this made little difference. "I'll get right to the point. With your new alliance, which I must admit is admirable, nearly all human support for Tom Riddle has been eliminated. Many are afraid to side with him out of fear of numbers. However, this means that he is seeking out other avenues for support."

Minerva heard Leon gasp, but he didn't say anything, likely because goblins didn't tolerate being interrupted.

"Riddle is seeking out magical creatures," Grotrog went on. "He's already sent a Death Eater to speak to the goblins. We…politely declined," the goblin grinned maliciously, and everyone in the room knew that "politely" was a matter of opinion. "Tom Riddle is responsible for the deaths of many of our kind, and we will not throw our lot in with him. We've chosen to pursue a tentative alliance with your IDEA."

"Do you have any idea which creatures he's approaching?" Minerva asked, and Grotrog nodded.

"All of them," he said. "He's already talked to the giants, as you know. Next on his list is vampires."

Leon cringed, as did several others around the table. Two of the Japanese, however looked confused. One started speaking in fast Japanese, the other translating.

"Kazuo-san is confused," he said, his voice heavily accented. "He says that vampires should be fairly easy to dispatch. I have to concur," he added as Kazuo-san fell silent. "A simple stake through the heart is enough to dispatch them, correct?"

"Not correct," Leon said, standing. "Leon Mason, American, principal of Denson Academy," he introduced himself. "I've faced a few vampires in my time. They're not like in the books. Wooden stakes, sunlight, garlic, none of that works, not even a crucifix."

While Kazuo-san's translator began translating for him, Minerva looked to Leon. "How can they be defeated, then?"

Leon shook his head. "I was lucky enough to be in Hawaii when I faced a vampire. I chucked him in a volcano on Maui. That finally got him."

"Grotrog?" Minerva asked. "Do you know when Riddle is meeting with the vampires?"

Grotrog looked grim (at least, Minerva thought so; it was hard to tell with a goblin).

"Tonight."

……

"My lord," Wormtail said in tones of awe, "your guest has arrived."

"Excellent," Voldemort said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Send him in."

Wormtail bowed out of the room as a new figure entered, walking with unnatural grace, as though each step was carefully measured and planned to take him where he need to be. His ghostly pale skin nearly matched the Dark Lord's, though the face was completely different. Where Voldemort's face was flat and snakelike, his guest's was impossibly handsome, almost disarmingly so, topped with perfectly tousled chestnut hair. The only feature that seemed out of place was the pair of blood red eyes.

Voldemort immediately threw up his Occlumency shields. Vampires were notorious for trying to beguile anyone with their natural charms.

"Good evening," Voldemort said, holding out a hand as the vampire reached him quite quickly. "I am Lord Voldemort."

"Elijah Livingston," the guest said, taking Voldemort's hand in his icy grasp. The skin was like granite, unyielding even in the slightest. "I understand you have a proposition for me."

"Indeed," Voldemort said. "For centuries, your kind have been controlled by wizard-kind, forced to feed in secret and not reveal yourselves to muggles or even most wizards. I think it's time that that changed. The wizard public has no right to claim control over you. Join me, and they will have no reason. I can promise you a steady supply of human blood to feed on, and no one will try to stop you from doing so."

"You can promise this?" Elijah said softly, his velvety voice skeptical. "Many have claimed to have the ability to help us and have turned out to be full of empty promises. What makes you different?"

Voldemort leered at the vampire. "I have removed the biggest threat of retaliation that the wizard world has to offer."

Elijah's stony face betrayed no reaction, though Voldemort could sense his surprise. "Albus Dumbledore," he said in a whisper. "What is your proof?"

Voldemort held out a small knife. "You know what a portkey is?" Elijah nodded once. "Come with me."

……

"Punching out, Minister?"

"Yes, I am," Kingsley said, toting his briefcase as he entered the atrium. He nodded to the night watchman, Roy. "Don't go stir crazy in here."

"Not to worry," Roy said, hoisting a book of crossword puzzles. "I've got this and All-Night Eighties on 100.3. I'll be all set."

Kingsley chuckled deeply as he reached the Floo, throwing the powder in. The flames had just roared green when an explosion was heard above, then all was quiet. Kingsley stepped back, looking through the darkened atrium at Roy, who had just turned on his wizard wireless. The only sound came from the radio, which was playing classic guitar music, albeit at a low volume.

"What was…?" Roy trailed off as he caught sight of a muggle phone booth falling from a square hole in the ceiling of the building. They watched it fall, both transfixed, before it landed and shattered with an earsplitting shattering of glass and steel.

"Roy, call for backup," Kingsley said quickly. "We have compa – "

He stopped, whipping out his wand as a pale figure fell from the hole, plummeting the four stories from the ceiling to the floor and landing in the rubble. Kingsley caught sight of a man roughly his age, though with deathly pale skin that seemed luminous in the insubstantial light, before he seemed to disappear. His Auror training kicked in as he felt a ruffle of wind on his right, and he spun, apparating next to Roy.

"What is that thing Min – " Roy's question was cut off, as a new foe, this one female but just as pale, appeared from nowhere and leaped on his neck, biting. "AAAAAAAAAAHH!!"

"_Stupefy!_" Kingsley aimed his wand at the enemy, sending her flying backward, but he was thrown to the ground seconds later, seemingly by a statue. For a moment, he thought someone had thrown one of the statues from the fountain at him, but he realized moments later that it was the first arrival. Twisting, he apparated out of the way, back to Roy's side. Rushing to the desk, he punched a rune on the counter, which did several things simultaneously. A magical barrier was erected, blocking all access to the corridors beyond the atrium, and notification was sent to all Ministry employees that the Ministry was no longer safe. Floo networks were shut down in the atrium, and in thirty-five seconds, and anti-apparation ward would be placed over the entire Ministry. This gave Kingsley as much time to get himself and Roy out of there.

Grabbing Roy's hand, he was relieved to feel the watchman grip him back, and he concentrated on St. Mungos's lobby. They usually frowned on apparation directly inside, but they would have to make an exception.

With a loud _crack_, the Minister and Roy disappeared, just as several more invaders fell from the hole in the ceiling.

……

The Dark Lord was pleased. Most pleased. In all of two minutes, he'd gained control of the Ministry of Magic. Dismantling the feeble barriers blocking further access would be a simple matter, and the blocking of the Floo network and apparation was more help than harm. His minions could simply use the visitors' entrance, once it was repaired.

"Elijah," he said, and the vampire instantly appeared at his side. "Why not take your company for a tour of London? I'm sure you'll find the citizens more than an adequate meal."

"With pleasure," Elijah said, turning to the gathered vampires. "Come along, everyone. I'm thirsty."

They left as the Death Eaters started arriving, several of them staring openly at Nadia, the lone female. She smiled at one, who tripped over his feet and fell flat on his face, his mask falling to the floor. The others only laughed.

"Malfoy," Riddle said, and Lucius hastened to his master's side. "See to the wards and lead a party to the Department of Mysteries. Find the Hall of Prophecy and alert me when you've done so."

"It will be done, my lord," Lucius said. "Macnair, Mulciber, with me," he said, snapping at the two Death Eaters, who followed Lucius.

Riddle surveyed the atrium, casually blasting the Fountain of Magical Brethren to smithereens. A fitting replacement would have to be built when resources became available. Once that was finished, this would make an excellent base of operations. With the vampires, guard trolls that were soon to be stationed at the entrance, and a giant standing guard above ground, it would be quite well protected.

"Nott," he said, and the Death Eater almost tripped in his haste to obey his master. "Begin our plans…and turn off that foul music."

Nott rushed to the wireless, looking slightly disappointed; apparently, he was fond of eighties hits.

……

"Okay, let me see if I can do this," Hermione said, clutching her wand. "_Legilimens._"

Harry felt his mind go blank and allowed Hermione to gently probe his mind. He wondered if all Legilimency intrusions felt so…normal. He lazily viewed some of the happier moments of his life, his first quidditch game, winning the House Cup in first year, reuniting with Hermione in Diagon Alley…then, unbidden, an image of Hermione unconscious, lying petrified in the hospital wing floated in front of his mind.

_No_, he thought to himself. _Don't look at that one._

He concentrated on the brick wall Hermione had told him to imagine, letting it fill his mind until nothing else existed. Concentrating, he forced the brick wall outward, and he heard Hermione stumble in front of him.

"Sorry," he said, hastening to stand and help her up. Hermione smiled.

"Don't be," she said, patting his hand. "That was quite good. That…I never knew what I looked like petrified."

"It was horrible," Harry said, shuddering at the memory. "I was so used to you always being on the move, seeing you so…still…. I hated it."

Hermione smiled and pulled him into a hug, and Harry gripped her tightly.

"Well, trust me, Harry," she said, "you'll never be able to get me to hold still."

"I hope not," Harry laughed. "Hermione Granger wasting time? Not in a million years."

Hermione giggled. "Want to try again? You probe me this time."

Harry quirked an eyebrow, leaning in close. "Want me to 'probe' you? Gladly."

Hermione blushed, realizing what she'd said. "You know what I mean, Harry James Potter." She planted a kiss on his lips. "Although some probing later on wouldn't be so bad."

"Well, I wouldn't try any more Legilimency on me," Harry said. "Any thoughts you see would probably get me slapped."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, just cast the spell."

As Harry raised his wand, the door burst open, and Ron dashed in.

"Look at – what are you guys doing?"

"Look at what, Ron?" Hermione sighed, holding out her hand, and Ron shook his head and produced that day's edition of _USA Today: Magical Edition_

_**British Ministry of Magic Falls to Tom Riddle!**_

**Thousands Flee!**

_By Frances Lewis_

_What was thought to be impossible has turned out to be rather easy for Tom Riddle, who has toppled the magical government of Britain in one night, reports are saying._

_Late last night, while citizens of magical London slept soundly in their beds, Tom Riddle and a contingent of Death Eaters and vampires invaded the Ministry and subdued the Minister of Magic and another Ministry employee. The Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, battled with the invaders briefly before escaping with the employee, who was injured in the brawl. He took them both to Saint Mungo's, a hospital in magical London, where the Minister was treated and released. The unnamed employee's condition is yet to be verified._

_It is obvious that this latest move in an ongoing struggle against Tom Riddle will have far-reaching consequences. Magical London has had to be completely evacuated, including Diagon Alley, the hidden magical shopping center of London, after a follow-up attack by Riddle's vampiric forces._

"_Magical London and the surrounding area is no longer safe," Minister Shacklebolt said in a short interview upon his exit of St. Mungo's. "I encourage everyone to find a safe place abroad. I've spoken with the President of the MUSA, and he'll gladly accept anyone displaced by this tragedy."_

_The President released a statement following initial reports of the attack._

"_It is indeed tragic, what has happened to the citizens of magical Britain," he said. "Those affected by the attacks are in our thoughts, and those seeking refuge are welcome within our borders."_

_The President went on to promise a quick resolution to this conflict._

"_Make no mistakes," he said. "Magical Britain will not be held responsible for Albus Dumbledore's mistakes; they are still a long-standing ally, and when they are attacked, it is no different that attacking the Magical United States. We will fight this insurgence, and we will triumph!"_

_(For more details on the attacks, see pg. 9)_

_(For a list of certified refugee housing developments, see pg. 18)_

……

"So, how do we kill them?"

This was the million dollar question being pondered by the liaisons of several countries as the second recorded meeting of the IDEA convened in an undisclosed neutral area. Not even the liaisons themselves knew where they were.

"The more operative question is: what _can_ kill them?" the British liaison said. He looked around at the assembled representatives, all of whom had slightly perplexed looks.

"Stake to the 'eart?" the Australian representative suggested, and the American shook his head.

"Tried and failed," he said. "Garlic, sunlight, none of that works."

"'As anyone evair keeled one of zese vampires?" the French liaison asked. The representatives all looked at each other, and the American nodded.

"There are many scattered reports of humans killing vampires," he said. "Most of the time, the vampires just kill each other, but these guys were lucky enough."

"Well, let's get a list, divide it by country, and track 'em down," the British liaison said. "Problem solved."

It wasn't spoken out loud, but all of the assembled representatives amended that statement with one word: _Hopefully_.

* * *

Does this chapter seem thrown together at all? 'Cause it was. I just write this stuff as it occurs to me, so….

**Skin of a Killer, Bella: **Yes, the vampires are Stephenie Meyer's interpretation of the blood-drinking creatures. Why? I ask, why not? I asked myself once, who would win in a fight, a Twilight-verse vampire or a Potter-verse wizard? Now, I can answer myself that question. And, yes, I've read the books, seen the movie, what have you. They're something of a guilty pleasure, you could say. I must admit, though, that anyone who can create sparkly, granite-skinned vampires has to be creative in some way.

**Blase For a Dead Man: **Harry seemed rather stoic after receiving the news because, in my opinion, the circumstances of the revelation were much less stressful. In Book Five, Harry's godfather had just been killed and Harry and his friends had just barely survived a life and death struggle in the Ministry of Magic. I'd probably react a little angrily to finding out that a prophecy pertaining to my life had not been revealed to me until the last possible moment. However, in this story, Sirius is alive and well and the good guys are actually holding their own. Thus, Harry reacts a little more calmly to finding out that a man who's tried to kill him multiple times in the past is destined to die at his hand or vice-versa.

**001101011011001: **Magical binary is just something I came up with at work. I guess it's sort of influenced by the one scene from the Matrix that I've ever seen, where that one guy is telling Keanu Reeves about the code that makes the Matrix or whatever. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to do my own take on technomagic.

**Also, as of this chapter, this story is on a bit of a hiatus, as I've lost all inspiration. I've got a couple of ideas of where I want to go, but not enough to reinvigorate my writing. If anyone wants to toss me some ideas, I'll take all into consideration and give you due credit. I promise I'll keep trying to write, but it may be a while before my next update.**


	18. EP 3: Chapter 4

Okay, so I've decided I'm just gonna revert back to my old tactic of just posting these chapters as I finish them. I used to wait until I was a few chapters ahead, but it took three weeks for the last one, so nah. Also, this story's not so much on hiatus; it's just updated veeeeery sparingly. Sorry.

This chapter marks a significant shift in just about everything, but it's also rushed in spots. Bear with me, people.

Again, not totally thoroughly proofread. Lazy Cargyle is lazy.

* * *

**Episode Three**

**Chapter Four:**

**I don't care if you're from Honolulu, you're not getting my Hot Pocket!**

"Lunch time, old man."

A small flap opened in the bottom of the cell door, and a plate of food slid through. From his position near the door, Albus Dumbledore reached for the small hunk of meat and took a bite.

"See?" the guard said to his companion, who eyed Dumbledore in awe. "Gone off the deep end, he has. Just sits and stares at the ceiling all day and eats when he needs to. And the smell…" he shuddered, as though remembering something unpleasant. "_Never_ volunteer for cleaning duty."

The other guard nodded as the two walked on, leaving Dumbledore to his paltry meal. He blinked, his forget-me-not blue eyes staring at the ceiling. The whites were heavily bloodshot, and his pupils had elongated, now akin to cat pupils. He made no sound but for the occasional high-pitched laugh or shout, which changed depending on the mood of a man thousands of miles away, a man who was more of a living doll than a man.

……

The three vampires stood in front of the man with skin as ghostly pale as theirs. The one in the middle, whose sandy blonde hair fluttered slightly in a breeze from the open window, was listening to the plan being laid out for them, though at the same time, he was pondering potential routes to the objective, planning for adverse weather, and running over possible scenarios for the ultimate confrontation.

Vampires could multitask like that.

Next to the sandy-haired vampire, a slightly shorter female with fiery red hair was fidgeting impatiently (or at least growing impatient; vampires didn't really fidget) while shooting the occasional glance at their other companion, whose pale skin was slightly darker than the other two. His black hair was pulled into thick dreadlocks, and his wide red eyes stared unblinkingly at the Dark Lord.

"…I feel almost no need to ask, but do I need to repeat anything?" Voldemort asked, and James shook his head.

"Not at all," he said, glancing to his right. "Victoria?"

The fiery-haired girl shook her head slowly. "I'm just waiting for the hunt to begin."

James nodded, now turning to his left. "Laurent? Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Laurent said, his voice slightly accented. "Find this boy, Harry Potter, and…end him."

Voldemort nodded. "Then I'll leave you to it."

Faster than it took the Dark Lord to blink, the three vampires were gone, on their way to remove the final thorn in Tom Riddle's side.

......

"Harry?"

Hermione's voice cut through the otherwise silent afternoon as Harry Potter sat atop a dune overlooking a stunning view of the ocean. Sirius had suggested that the Weasleys and the Potter Clan (as Harry, Sirius, and Remus were unofficially dubbed) take a trip to the beach to unwind after all the craziness. The group had wholeheartedly agreed.

"I thought I'd find you here," Hermione said, gracefully sitting down next to Harry and resting her head on his shoulder. "Ron and the twins are looking for you. They need you for even teams in volleyball."

Harry chuckled. "I just…felt like enjoying the view."

Hermione smiled. "It's wonderful, isn't it? I'd always wanted to see California, and now it's just a portkey away."

Harry nodded, silent for a moment as he collected his thoughts. "Hermione…do you…believe in prophecies?"

She rolled her eyes. "Harry, I think I've made my thoughts on Divination fairly clear in the past two years."

This earned a chuckle from Harry, and he took her hand. "True, but…say they're real, and the Ministry even has a whole room of them. If a prophecy is made, does it have to come true?"

Hermione shook her head. "Harry, is there's something you're not telling me?"

"Does it have to come true?" Harry asked, ignoring her question. Hermione squeezed his hand.

"Harry, I believe a prophecy is only as true as you want it to be," she said, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. "The real question is: do you want to let something someone else said shape your life?"

"Of course not," Harry replied immediately; he'd gotten enough of that with Dumbledore.

"Then don't," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "You control your own destiny. No one else."

They sat in silence, listening to the waves and the distant sounds of the Weasleys playing volleyball. Apparently, they'd started without the pair. Hermione allowed Harry to contemplate her words, seeming content to just be around him.

"A few days ago, Kingsley stopped by," Harry said, and Hermione nodded, looking up at him. "He and some aurors had raided Dumbledore's office and turned up something called a pensieve."

"Yes, I've read about those," Hermione said. "You can store memories in them and relive them when—sorry," she said sheepishly. "Go on."

Harry shook his head indulgently, and smiled slightly. "Well, one of the memories was a prophecy. I can't remember the exact wording, but the basic message was that either I have to kill Voldemort…or he'll kill me."

He felt Hermione tense against him, but she only shook her head. "Harry, that's absolute rubbish. I'm sure there are millions of things out there that could kill Voldemort. You definitely have the capacity, but it doesn't fall on you."

Harry nodded, heartened by the fact that Hermione believed the same thing. "That's what I thought, too."

"If you ask me, it's just another example of wizards clinging too much to tradition," Hermione went on, in full rant mode now. "I'll bet they used to work their whole lives around prophecies out of some inane fear of defying destiny. No, Harry, you make your own destiny. You don't have to take on Voldemort, not if you don't want to."

Harry chuckled. "Now if we could only get Voldemort to believe that."

Hermione smiled. "Something tells me he'll be hard to convince. _Legilimens!_"

Harry quickly constructed an Occlumency shield, which was now becoming a knee-jerk reaction to Hermione's random Legilimency assaults. According to Ms. Chen, having Occlumency become second nature was essential. Hermione, for her part, was becoming quite good at Legilimency as well, and even Harry was keeping pace.

_Occlumens! _ Harry shouted the word in his head, and Hermione stumbled backward as though shoved. He hastened to help correct her. Ms. Chen had told him that shouting the incantation was helpful if you simply wanted to repel an attack.

"_There are two types of Occlumency," she'd said. "Passive and aggressive. A passive occlumens will allow someone to invade their mind while hiding things they don't want seen. That takes a lot of skill, though. Usually, one has to master aggressive Occlumency first. An aggressive occlumens only wants the invading presence gone. It's a lot simpler, and a lot more straightforward."_

"Very good, Harry," Hermione said, kissing him on the nose. "Fifteen seconds. A record."

"Next time, it'll be ten," Harry said, grinning, and Hermione smiled.

"I know it will," she assured him, reaching up to brush his hair from his eyes. It was back to its normal black color, as he no longer needed to disguise himself, and he'd let it grow out. Now it nearly hung past his ears. Her fingers brushed his scar, and he flinched away, wincing as he heard…something. A distant shout. "Are you okay?"

"I…heard something," Harry said, taking her hand and placing to his forehead again. When it contacted his scar, he heard that same noise and he felt a white hot sensation sear through his scar, though it wasn't exactly painful.

"I can sort of hear it, too," Hermione said softly. "Someone…in pain."

She pulled his head down and kissed the scar.

Blackness.

……

"C'mon, Ron, focus!" Valerie cheered, and Ron glared angrily at the volleyball in his hands. These muggle sports were demented. What was the point of hitting a ball across a net? The ball didn't even explode or anything. Ginny had charmed it to change color each time it was hit, though, so that changed things up a little. Even so, it was one of the most unusual sports Ron had ever encountered, and he'd listened to Dean Thomas rant on about football plenty of times.

Throwing the ball up, he reared his hand back and palmed it (turning it a lovely shade of green), sending it soaring over the net and straight at Sirius, who just managed to duck as the ball zoomed past him and instead connected with Remus( now turning purple), who had been chatting with Dad. Sirius immediately burst out laughing, doubling over as his friend looked wildly around, his eyes landing on Ron, who grinned sheepishly at his former professor.

"Uh…sorry 'bout that, Remus," Ron said, and the professor sighed.

"You don't have to hit it with everything you've got, Ron," he said. "A nice light _tap_," he lobbed the (now fuchsia) ball up and demonstrated a slightly lighter serve, which sailed over to Valerie, who caught it.

"Right," Ron said, and Valerie rolled her eyes.

"I suppose you could always pursue a career in boxing," she said, and Fred and George laughed.

"I don't think that would work, Val," Fred said, taking his position.

"Yeah, you need _aim_ to be a boxer," George added.

Ron opened his mouth to retaliate, but was cut off by a shriek.

"_HARRY!! Someone help!!_"

Faster than any of them could move, Sirius was up and running, shifting to his dog form to cover more ground. The rest of them followed, Ron half-worried, half-exasperated. Could they go _nowhere_ without trouble following Harry?

……

Light darkness blurs color rushing pictures one after the other.

He was floating.

Hot cold nothing makes sense where am I what am I who am I _I don't know what's happening_ voices laughter cold laughter flash of green _**screams so many screams**_.

A struggle. Two forces at war with another.

A sunny hilltop desolate graveyard running _running_ through the darkness howls angry bellows "You killed Arianna!" a huge snake thrilling terrifying a bright red bird flying to the rescue a boy and a girl "Wanna see something neat?" a cave dark as night a lake a locket.

His own mind was at stake. His own soul was at stake.

Cloaked beings everywhere a black dog a man "I am Gellert Grindelvald" a handsome unforgettable face a house so like the houses around it "Bring my dinner, boy!" the first glimpses of a grand castle a grand hall a grand life "Slytherin will help you on the path to greatness" a man with two faces a rotund man with a walrus mustache "What are horcruxes, sir?" triumphant laughter a golden ring with a black stone a silvery cloak "That's an invisibility cloak!"

Something wasn't right. High pitched laughter rang through his very being.

"Stand aside, foolish girl" a beautiful redheaded woman smiling a flash of green "Harry…Lily, he's beautiful" _**SCREAMS**_ Laughter so much laughter evil cold without humor laughter that made every fiber of your being want to escape—

"…Harry…."

Warmth.

"Harry come back to me."

So warm.

"Harry, I love you."

The laughter was gone, replaced by pained yells.

"Harry, please, I love you so much. Don't leave me, Harry. Please."

"Please."

……

His eyes snapped open, and Harry sucked in a deep breath like he'd never breathed before in his entire life.

And promptly threw up.

"_Scourgify_." The muttered spell made Harry aware that he wasn't alone wherever he was. He looked up, taking in his surroundings. He was lying in a very comfortable bed in a stark white room. The only relief from the plain whiteness was a single television hanging from a large steel bar jutting directly from the wall and a window set in the wall adjacent to his bed, letting in enough light that Harry knew it had to be daylight out. Arranged around his bed were Ron, Ginny, Sirius, Remus, Mrs. Weasley, and Leon, though he stood back in a corner. Hermione was at his bedside, clutching onto his hand.

"Harry!" she said, kissing him deeply despite the fact that his mouth likely tasted like bile.

"Let him breathe, Hermione," Ginny's amused voice said, and Hermione was pulled from Harry.

"What happened?" Harry asked as soon as he could speak. They all looked at each other.

"I kissed your scar," Hermione said, "and you…passed out. You were writhing in pain and holding your head. I was so terrified."

She hugged him, and Harry gripped her back.

_I love you._

His heart leapt. The voice had sounded so much like Hermione's. Had she actually told him she loved him? If she had, it had been that force, that insurmountable force, which had driven back whatever cold had been engulfing him.

"How long was I out?" he asked as soon as Hermione pulled away.

"Four days," Leon said from the corner. "Well, four days, ten hours, thirty-six minutes, and nineteen seconds, but who's counting?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He loves doing that."

"So…what happened?" Ron asked. "I mean, do you remember anything?"

Harry nodded. "It was…like sensory overload. It was like I was looking at every event in my entire life all at once. I could make connections, figure things out for the first time, see answers that I would never have thought of yet."

"Sounds like magical introspection," Leon said, and Hermione gasped.

"But that takes years of hard work!" she said, turning to the teacher. "How could Harry just…stumble on something like that?"

Leon shrugged. "Maybe his scar is a gateway to his soul or something."

"Excuse me," Fred said. "Would you mind speaking in terms we laymen can understand?"

"Yeah, not all of us spend our lives reading everything we see," George added.

"Magical introspection is basically meditating until you reach a point that you can look at yourself in an entirely unbiased manner," Hermione explained. "Then you go into a sort of trance where you look at all of the events in your life, and you can examine them and work out a lot of solutions that would never have normally occurred to you."

"But," Harry strained his mind, "I can't really remember any of the answers I came up with."

"They'll come back to you," Leon said. "The human mind isn't meant to remember so many things at once. That's why you go into the trance. It's more of a coma. The answers'll show up whenever they're most relevant."

"Excuse me," a voice said, and an older woman in pink scrubs stepped into the room. "I'm sorry, but the patient needs to rest. He hasn't fully recovered, and he'll need further examination."

"Sure," Leon said, standing and checking his watch. "Mel's taking me to lunch today anyway. See you guys later." He nodded at Harry. "Get well soon."

With that, he disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

"We'll see you, Harry," Ron said, giving Harry a wave.

"Yeah, we'll bring along a gift next time," Fred said with a grin.

"Promise it won't be _too_ dangerous," George added with a nod.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'll be sure and check it before we leave the house," she said to Harry in a low voice as the boys left.

Molly stepped forward and looked worryingly at Harry. "Are you sure you'll be all right for the night, Harry? I could ask the healer to let me – "

"I'll be fine, Mrs. Weasley," Harry assured her. "I've survived a lot worse."

Molly nodded and exited, leaving Hermione, Remus, and Sirius. Sirius walked forward and placed a small mirror on Harry's stomach. Harry picked it up and eyed his own reflection as Sirius clapped him on the shoulder.

"If you need anything," he said, "anything at all, a book, your Gameboy, someone to talk to, just say my name into the mirror, and I'll be here right away, okay?"

Harry's throat tightened too much to talk at that moment, so he only nodded. Sirius gave his shoulder another squeeze and Remus smiled at him as well.

"We're here whenever you need us, Harry." He looked over at Hermione. "We'll let you two say goodbye in private."

He ushered Sirius from the room, and Harry rolled his eyes as his godfather grinned, waggling his eyebrows at Harry as they left. When the door shut, Hermione giggled, shaking her head.

"He loves you so much," she said, and Harry sighed.

"He's like a father, a brother, and an uncle all rolled into one," Harry said.

"What about Remus?" Hermione asked. Harry thought for a bit.

"He's the mom."

Hermione burst out laughing, collapsing into giggles on Harry's legs. "Har…Harry, that's so…_true_!"

"Right?" Harry chuckled. Hermione finally regained her composure and sighed.

"I see you've forgiven Ron's mum," she said, speaking rather dispassionately of Mrs. Weasley. Harry patted her on the hand.

"It's really easy once you try it," he said. "Forgiving people takes a lot less energy than hating them."

Hermione smiled at him. "You sound like Dumbledore before he lost his mind."

"Let's hope I don't go the same route," Harry chuckled, and Hermione leaned in and kissed his nose.

"Well, he didn't have a girlfriend to keep him on the straight and narrow," she said, moving down to his lips. Harry smirked as she pulled away.

"Well, not always straight and narrow," he said, placing his hand on her side and sliding it up to her breast. Hermione turned pleasantly pink, kissing him again. "It's no fun that way."

"You're bad," she whispered, placing her hand over his and pulling it from her chest. "And I have to go before Sirius comes back in to drag me out."

Harry pouted, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't give me that look," she said. "As soon as I leave, they're going to give you a sleeping potion, and I'll be the first person you see when you wake up."

"Promise?" Harry asked, and Hermione smiled, leaning in to kiss him lingeringly.

"Promise," she confirmed, turning to exit. She blew him a kiss as she left, and the nurse entered as she left, handing Harry his promised sleeping potion. He drank it in one draw and fell back into his pillows, sinking into a deep sleep.

……

Lucius Malfoy walked swiftly through the halls of the Ministry of Magic. His report was due in five minutes, and the Dark Lord was not one to tolerate tardiness.

Macnair and Avery were standing point outside the office. They stepped aside as Lucius passed. Macnair nodded at him.

"He's been pretty quiet today," he said. "You might catch him in a good mood."

Lucius only nodded, stepping into the office. The room was dark, though Lucius was unconcerned; the Dark Lord always preferred darkness, for obvious reasons. He stood and waited for the Dark Lord to address him.

Silence….

"My Lord?" Lucius asked, scanning the room. In the darkness, he couldn't tell whether anyone was there or not. Perhaps he had more important things to do? "My Lord?"

Something was off. Lucius ran a hand over his wrist, where the Dark Mark usually pulsed lightly in the Dark Lord's presence. Today, it was perfectly pain-free. Lucius pulled out his wand, waving it with a muttered, "_Lumos_."

Lamps in the room flared into life, and Lucius froze at what he saw, gasping and almost dropping his wand. There, on the floor before him, lay the once grand form of the Dark Lord, now decapitated to the shoulders. Gore spattered the walls off the office; his head had exploded.

"What…what has done this?" he asked no one in particular. Suddenly, his Dark Mark seared with pain, and from the twin grunts of pain outside the door, Avery and Macnair were experiencing similar sensations. At once, they apparated, reappearing in a place too dark to see.

"It would seem," said a voice, at high and cold while at the same time aged and soft, "that there has been a change of plans."

* * *

**After Notes:**

**James and Co.:** I bet the Twilight fans are squeeing with all reckless abandon. While I will wax poetic about how I think the story of the Twilight books is somewhat poorly executed, a little melodramatic, and not all that engaging, using James and his ilk seemed too fun to let pass by. Thus, it turned into a pseudo crossover.

**Harry's Head Trip:** Theories, anyone? Trust, me, that little bit of brain crack will have far-reaching consequences. But more importantly, VOLDY FACED HEAD-'SPLODY DOOM!! Can anyone guess what the "change of plans" is?

**I think it would be interesting to see Cedric Diggory and Edward Cullen meet:**

Edward stopped dead as he spotted what appeared to be a mirror image of himself, though the skin was soft…human.

"You…you look just like me," the boy said, cocking his head to the side curiously. "But…different."

"Is this some sort of joke?" Edward said, ignoring the boy's remark. "Some cruel, terrible joke? Tease the vampire with the one thing he can't have?" He leaped at the boy. "GIVE ME YOUR EXISTENCE!!!"


	19. EP 3: Chapter 5

I've gotten quite a few reviews criticizing my use of the Twilight-verse. People have asked why I've stooped to such lows, "sullied" my story with the use of such "failure". I touched on this in the last chapter, but I will reiterate and expand upon that with the following:

Yes, I will agree that the storyline of Twilight was rather poorly executed. The plot was lacking in real depth, and there were more than a few holes. However, the characters of Twilight (the vampires and werewolves, at least) were utterly fascinating. I myself would never have imagined making vampires sparkly, granite-skinned, gold-eyed supermodels; or werewolves as willing shapeshifters that change into bear-sized wolves. So, you have to give Meyer credit for that. Not to mention, I rather like the idea of these beings with superhuman powers not developing a god complex like the Volturi, but taking care of people and, essentially, using their powers for good, Uncle Ben style. There's a lot there; Meyer just used it for a romance rather than action/adventure, which was unwise, in my opinion.

So, I took what I liked from Twilight and transplanted it into this story, which is an action/adventure, where I feel that their skills and potential would be better utilized. It's not gonna be a full crossover. The Twilight characters are going to be secondary characters that barely make an appearance. But I felt like bringing them in because I thought it would be fun and advantageous to the story.

Finally, I will say this: disliking one aspect of a story shouldn't equate to hating the whole thing. I, for instance, was somewhat displeased with romance of the Harry Potter stories. I believe that most of the relationships came out of nowhere. However, that has not stopped me from reading and enjoying all seven of the Harry Potter books, which aren't even supposed to be romance novels, but fun adventure stories. In any case, don't let the anchovies stop you from enjoying an otherwise delicious pizza. Or, if the pizza is poorly made, just enjoy the wonderful Italian sausage.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

* * *

**Episode Three**

**Chapter Five:**

**Is that a knife in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? ...Oh, it **_**is**_** a knife....**

"So, what does this mean?"

"It means Lord Voldemort has somehow managed to split his soul into at least two pieces," Eric Wilco said, "maybe more. It's the only plausible way that he could survive…well, death."

Shacklebolt sighed, placing his head in his hands. "And until we eliminate these pieces of his soul, these…horcruxes…he'll just keep coming back?"

"Yes, sir," Eric said, nodding. "We need to track them down and see that they're eliminated, then we'll finally be rid of this guy."

Shacklebolt sighed; the phrase "easier said than done" sprang to mind. With the resources Voldemort had at his disposal, these horcruxes could be anywhere on the planet. "Thank you, Mr. Wilco," he said. "Is that all?"

"Yes, sir," Eric nodded.

"You may go," he said, and Eric left, leaving Kingsley at a slight loss as to what to do. Not only did they have to defeat a Dark wizard who inspired enough fear to render his name unspeakable by an entire culture, they had to find and destroy pieces of his shattered soul so that he didn't come back…. Again…. The task ahead seemed impossible.

He shook himself. Not impossible. Difficult, yes, but he loved a challenge. And he now had allies with adapted mug—mundane technology. Surely the Japanese could rig up some sort of horcrux tracking device. And this fake body of Tom Riddle's could still be killed. They just had to find a means. No, Riddle was done inspiring fear in people. He would be _taught_ to fear, given a taste of his own medicine.

He was just reaching for his phone with intentions to call the president when a knock on his door interrupted him.

"Come in," he said, and the door opened, revealing Tonks, now with waist-length blue hair, though Kingsley was more focused on her clearly distressed expression. "Tonks, what's wrong?"

"D-Denson Academy!" she ran up to the desk. "There's been an attack!"

……

_Hours earlier…_

Hermione loved watching Harry's quidditch practices. The allure of the game, of course, was lost on her; she could no better understand the draw of quidditch than Ron could understand the joys of a good Jane Austen book.

She could, however, see the joy the game brought Harry, and that was worth even the lengthiest practices spent in the stands, often with a textbook of some sort perched open on her lap. Today, she was rereading _The Advanced Occlumens's Guide to Selective Memory Blockage_, a decidedly thin book, though full of information on advanced occlumency techniques.

"Hey, Hermione," a voice said, and Hermione looked up, smiling when she saw the once again blue-haired Valerie sit next to her.

"Hey, Val," she said, closing her book. "Come to watch Ron?"

Valerie smiled sheepishly, her cheeks pinking. "Maybe," she said with a shrug. "You came to watch Harry, of course."

"Naturally," Hermione said, looking up to follow Harry's progress as he participated in a passing drill. He briefly caught Hermione's eye and waved, narrowly catching the quaffle as he did.

"Focus, Potter!" the coach called, and Harry winked at Hermione before tossing the quaffle on. Hermione giggled and shook her head, looking back at Valerie, who was smiling.

"In love much?" she asked, and Hermione smiled.

"Very much," she said wistfully. "I just...wish I could tell him when he's actually awake."

"Ron told me about that little episode at the beach," Valerie said. "You finally dropped the L-bomb, then?"

"I'm not even sure if he heard me, though," Hermione said. "He was unconscious at the time, and...I haven't been able to talk to him about it."

"But he does love you," Valerie insisted. "I mean, anyone can see it. If you tell him, I'm sure he'll say he feels the same."

"It's not that easy with Harry, though," Hermione said. "He's...got kind of a complicated past, especially with love."

Valerie nodded in understanding. "Well, maybe you can uncomplicate it for him," she suggested. "Take your time though. We're still young."

They lapsed into silence, and a moving figure on the field caught Hermione's eye. "Is that Le – Mr. Mason?"

"Maybe he came to watch the practice," Valerie mused, laughing. "He's late enough."

They watched as Leon practically ran to the group, which had landed upon seeing him, stopping directly in front of Harry. Immediately, Hermione felt a sense of foreboding. She stood and quickly made her way down from the stands, Valerie close behind. By the time they descended the steps and made their way over to Harry, Leon was already dashing for the stands. He met them halfway to the group, a panicked look on his face. This slightly frightened Hermione; Leon never panicked. He'd said so himself: "Never panic, improvise."

"We need to get everyone out of here," he said. "Vampires are coming."

"Correction," a new, accented voice said, and they all turned to see three people, two pale, one slightly darker, standing in a row. It was the darker one who had spoken. "The vampires are _here_."

Leon stared down the new arrivals, turning his head a fraction to speak to the others. "Go. Doug, call for backup," he added to the quidditch coach.

"Harry, let's go," Hermione said, taking Harry's hand, but before they could even move, the fair-haired male vampire was standing in their path.

"Now, now, there's no need to be rude," he said. Hermione instinctively gripped Harry's arm as Ron appeared on their other side, wand pointed at the vampire.

"Get away from him," he said. Suddenly, his wand snapped in two, and the female vampire was there, gripping the scruff of Ron's shirt, lifting him off the ground. Ron kicked his legs feebly, scrabbling fruitlessly at her hand.

"May I have this one, James?" she asked. "His scent is...intriguing."

"Very well," James said, but before the female could do anything, a wisp of smoke announced Leon's arrival.

"Let go of my student," he said, holding his sword to the female vampire's throat. The female vampire took a deep breath, and her eyes closed in evident pleasure.

"Hmmm, and you're...intoxicating," she said, then leapt at Leon, who disappeared in another wisp of smoke, reappearing across the pitch, his sword glowing orange. He held it high above his head and swiped it down, unleashing a lance of fire that shot straight at the female. She dodged it effortlessly and collided with Leon, making a snarling sound that would have been more appropriate coming from a mountain lion.

"She always was enthusiastic," James said, turning back to the remaining students, who all had their wands pointing at him now. He smiled a slightly disarming smile, showing perfect white teeth. "Well, this is decidedly hostile."

"Fire," Harry said in a whisper, but the vampire heard him anyway, as his lips broke into a smile.

"You have to catch me first," he said, then abruptly disappeared. They heard a snarl to their left and turned, aiming their wands.

"_Incendio!_" Harry and Hermione cried as one, but James was too fast, suddenly coming at them from a completely different angle.

"We need to slow him down!" Harry said. Hermione watched as he fired another fire spell at the vampire, who disappeared again, and realization dawned on her.

"_Impedimenta!_" she cried, and as James ran at them, and he suddenly slowed. He was still moving, though he seemed to be struggling against invisible ropes. As one, Harry and Hermione fired.

"_Stupefy!_"

The red stunning spells shot at the vampire, who couldn't roll away in time, and caught him directly in the forehead. He flew backward several feet and landed, sprawled on the grass of the pitch. As one, Harry and Hermione raised their wands.

"Aim for the head," Hermione said, and Harry adjusted his arm slightly.

"_Incendio!_" The fire shot from both their wands, connecting with James's face. The effect was instantaneous, the fire spreading throughout his body, seeming to catch on some unknown accelerant.

Breathing heavily, Hermione tore her gaze away from the rapidly burning vampire to look around the pitch.

"Where are Ginny and Ron?"

……

"So…do we just wait for him to give up?"

"I dunno how to kill a vampire," Ron replied, turning to Valerie, who had her arms wrapped around his waist. "You?"

"I don't know, but the sooner we can get back to ground, the better," she replied. "I _hate_ heights."

Presently, the three were on their broomsticks, hovering roughly a hundred feet off the ground, watching the darker vampire (Laurent, Ginny recalled) circle predatorily below them, crouched like a leopard waiting to pounce. Ginny was on her own broomstick, Valerie on the back of Ron's. Laurent tried another fruitless leap, coming within ten yards of them, but not quite able to reach them.

"Maybe we should try stunning him," Ron said, taking his broom a few yards higher. Ginny followed suit, drawing out her wand. Ron's had been snapped in the initial confrontation, and Valerie seemed too terrified to even take her hands off the broomstick. Clearly, she wasn't the flying type. As Laurent leapt again, Ginny aimed her wand at his approaching figure.

"_Stupefy!_"

The spell shot right at him, and with no way of actually moving while in the air, Laurent could only watch as the spell connected, and he fell to the ground with a crack unfitting his slight figure.

"Nice shot," Ron said appreciatively, and Ginny smiled, pocketing her wand.

WHOOMF!!

All three looked down to see an enormous burst of flame quickly fade, revealing a battle that had clearly escalated between their principal and the female vampire.

"Oh, I hope he doesn't get himself killed," Ginny said.

……

_Vampires cheat at life_, Leon found himself thinking as he squared off with the vampire called Victoria, who showed no signs of fatigue _at all_, whereas Leon was panting, sweat soaking his brow as his muscles tensed, ready to dodge the moment he lost sight of her.

Victoria leaped, disappearing as she moved at him with lightning speed. Leon closed his eyes, stepping through the shadows and reappearing fifty yards to his left. He caught sight of the vampire and raised his sword.

_INCENDIO!!_ He knew it didn't help to think the word as loud as he could, but it felt more gratifying, especially watching the huge ball of flame hurtle at Victoria, who leaped, literally sailing over the fireball. Leon grinned. This was exactly what he was hoping for. He held his sword back, ready to thrust.

_Fiamma con pausa._ The blade glowed a dull orange.

_Crescere_. The light quickly increased. As Victoria descended, he ran forward, thrusting the sword upward. The white-hot blade sank into her easily as a hot knife through butter.

_Rilascio._ Flames exploded from the blade, taking the vampire with her. Leon was reminded forcibly of the time he had stuffed a pillow case down Sean O'Hara's gas tank and set it on fire. As flaming chunks of Victoria flew apart in the same manner as Sean's engine, he glanced around and spotted the third vampire lying nearby, apparently unconscious.

"Ginny! Ron! Valerie!"

Leon turned to the source of the voices, spotting Harry and Hermione running toward him, their eyes fixed on something above his head. Looking up, he spotted Ginny and Ron swooping to the ground on their broomsticks, Valerie clutching tightly to Ron, clearly not a fan of flying.

"You all okay?" Leon asked the assembled students. Harry and Hermione nodded, both sporting triumphant grins.

"We got James," Harry said, and Leon smirked.

"Nice," he said, looking over at the third vampire. "What's his story?"

"He went after us," Ginny said. "But we managed to get on our brooms and out of his reach. We tried waiting until he gave up on getting to us, but he's a stubborn one."

"Should we try to restrain him?" Hermione asked, looking at Leon. "Find out why he's here?"

"Riddle put him up to it," Harry said, and they all looked to see him wearing a puzzled expression. "How do I know that?"

"How, indeed," Leon said, stepping forward. "In any case, the only safe vampire is a dead vampire."

He raised his sword, intending to burn the vampire and finish this, but just as his sword began to glow orange, the vampire stirred, his wide red eyes shooting open. He was suddenly standing, and he leaped at the collection of students.

_Barcollare!_ Leon called in his head, aiming at the beast, but not before a terrible cry of pain came from the group.

……

_Ow…._

"…shouldn't blame yourself…."

"…ood thing you were there...."

"I just spoke to the doctor…."

Aches. Aches all over, like every muscle in her body had been worked to the breaking point.

"…you can hear me, I'm not leaving…."

"…stable, but we want to make sure…"

"…case like this in St. Mungo's…."

"…breathing steadily, she'll probably…"

She became aware of a numb feeling in her right arm. She tried moving it but felt nothing. She gritted her teeth and tried again, to no avail. She summoned all of her strength, willing herself to open her eyes.

Lights, blurry at first, but coming into focus. Nearby, a steady beeping sound came from a white machine, another one next to it holding a bag of some sort of fluid that ran down a tube and into a needle jutting into her arm. She recoiled at the sight—she absolutely _hated_ needles. She glanced over to see if they had stuck anything into her other arm.

Her eyes widened and her heart stopped, causing the steady beeping sound to stutter and begin again, this time in earnest as she took in the sight before her.

Her right arm was gone, severed from just above her elbow. Her breathing came in short gasps as she futilely tried to move fingers that weren't there, flex a joint that was no longer part of her. She felt a cold sweat break over her, her breathing getting even faster as she tore her eyes away from the missing arm and screamed at the ceiling.

……

"I knew you'd be out here," a soft voice spoke behind him, and Leon Mason sighed, managing a weak smile. "You okay?"

"No," he said, his voice hoarse, his eyes itching with tiredness. "I'm not."

Emily moved to stand next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I failed her," Leon said quietly. "I failed. I'm not fit to be a teacher."

"That's silly," Emily said, shaking her head without even removing it from his shoulder. "Teaching is your life."

"Then I fail at life!" Leon said, slamming his fist against the brick wall of the hospital's courtyard. "I let a student get hurt; she almost died!"

"But she _didn't_," Emily said. "Because you acted fast and got her here in time."

Leon was silent for a moment, fuming. "Do you remember when Jake Denson decided to retire?"

Emily nodded, smiling at the memory. "He came straight to you and asked you to take over as principal."

Leon nodded once. "I went to his office on the last day of the school year, asked him why. Why me? Why not Hanson or Ottomas? They were way more qualified than me, much better choices. You know what he said?"

Emily shook her head.

"He said, 'Because I know that you would do anything to protect your students, to see that no harm ever comes to them. You would die for them, and that's the duty of any teacher, but especially the principal, to put his students' well-being before anything else.' He trusted me…. And I failed him. One of my students was almost killed, and it's my fault."

Emily huffed, folding her arms across her chest and fixing him with a glare. "Okay, so Tom Riddle didn't do anything wrong?"

Leon looked up at her in surprise. "What?"

"Well, if it's _your_ fault, then we can forgive Tom Riddle for sending the vampires. And shame on you for killing innocent vampires, since they clearly didn't do anything except attack the students. Nothing wrong with that, right? No it's all _your_ fault for doing everything in your power to stop them and _not being totally infallible_."

Leon only stared at Emily, his brow furrowed in confusion. She smiled and took his hands.

"Leon, you feel bad for her," she said. "And that's all right. You have so much compassion, and I love that about you. But _this isn't your fault_. The only thing you're guilty of is being arrogant enough to blame yourself for something that was completely out of your control. You did your best with a bad situation. That's it. Okay?"

Leon nodded reluctantly, and Emily smiled, leaning in to kiss him.

As they pulled apart, Hermione ran up to them, her eyes wide with worry.

"Leon," she gasped. "Ginny's awake. She's…not taking it well."

Emily took Leon's real hand, and they ran for the hospital.

……

"My Lord, are you sure this is wise? Leading an attack so soon after your…incident seems…."

"You question my judgment, Wormtail?" Voldemort asked, his strange new voice no less menacing.

"Of course not," Wormtail stammered, cowering. "I would never…. Of course not…. Forgive me for doubting you."

"Know this, Wormtail," Voldemort went on. "Certain secrets have been revealed to me, secrets that may just mean the difference between defeat…and absolute victory." Voldemort smiled, though it was cold, without mirth, and Wormtail quivered. "Gather a contingent of Death Eaters and vampires. We're taking a trip to our alma mater."

……

"What was that, Harry?"

Harry jerked awake, gasping; he didn't remember dozing off. He was looking up into Hermione's face, now looking concernedly back at him. Apparently, he'd ended up with his head in her lap at some point.

"What?" he asked in response to her question.

"You said something about…an alma mater?"

"All-a-what-now?" Harry asked, sitting up slowly.

"Al-ma ma-ter," Hermione enunciated for him, smiling slightly. "It's Latin. It usually refers to a school where someone was educated."

"Oh," Harry said. "And I said it? I've never even heard that word before now."

Hermione puckered her brow in confusion. "I suppose you could have heard it around before. I'm certain Leon used it once. But…can you remember your dream at all?"

Harry tried to remember. "I think…." Harry gasped, standing as the details of the dream came back to him. "Alma mater…. He's going to attack Hogwarts!"

"What?" Hermione asked, standing as well. "Who?"

"Riddle!" Harry said, stuffing his hand into his pocket and retrieving the cell phone given to him by Leon "in case of an emergency". This sounded like enough of an emergency. He quickly dialed Leon's number.

_Ring…ring…ri-_ "Yeah?" Leon's voice came over the line, instantly businesslike.

"It's Harry," Harry said. "I just…had a dream. I think Riddle's going to try attacking Hogwarts."

"How much time do we have?" Leon asked, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief at his lack of skepticism.

"I don't know," he said. "Not much, though. He sounded like he was…finalizing plans, or something."

"Okay," Leon said. "I'll let the Order know and gather the right people. _Stay where you are_. Emily will be along soon."

"Right," Harry said, and the connection cut as Leon hung up. He turned to Hermione. "Emily's coming to get us."

"Actually, Emily's here already," a voice said behind them, making them both jump. They turned to see Emily standing with a tall, sandy-haired man. "This is Sean," she nodded at him. "He's gonna take us to Hogwarts."

"Nice to meet yeh," Sean said, holding out his hand, which Harry shook. He had a firm grip, and his hands were rough and calloused. He'd clearly seen some action in his time. "I'm a friend of Leon's."

"Do you work at Denson, too?" Hermione asked, and Sean grinned, giving a small chuckle.

"Nah, I'm hardly the teachin' type," he said. "Most kids yer age bug the hell outta me, actually. I'm Leon's eyes an' ears when he's otherwise tied down to the school. Before Dumbles was arrested, I was gonna do some undercover work at Hogwarts."

"Speaking of Hogwarts," Emily said, holding out what appeared to be nothing more than a mere flashlight, "we should get going."

"Right," Sean said, sticking a hand on the flashlight. "Le's get goin'."

Harry placed a hand on the flashlight, followed by Hermione, and Emily checked her watch.

"Aaaand…_now_."

The hospital around them dissolved into a blur of color as Harry felt the familiar jerk in his navel region. The ride was rather short to Harry, who was long used to traveling by portkey now. Their feet hit solid ground, and Harry only fell to his knees rather than sprawling on the floor, as he had every other time before. Helping Hermione to her feet, he glanced around and recognized where they had landed with a wry smile.

They were in Snape's classroom. The desks had been cleared out, replaced by a card table with a television placed on top of it, a small antenna hooked to it. Seated at the table was a man in a blue guard uniform, currently digging into a rather sizable microwave dinner. Along another wall was a small cupboard with a coffeemaker on top. Next to it sat a mini-fridge with a microwave perched precariously atop it.

Harry had to laugh at the sheer irony of it all.

"Hold it," a voice said, and Harry finally noticed the man standing directly in front of them. He, too, was wearing a guard uniform, and Harry couldn't help but notice the pistol holstered at his side. "ID, please."

Sean reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet, Emily digging through her purse. They held up their identifications, and the guard nodded, turning his attention to Harry and Hermione.

"These two will need guest passes," he said, turning to yell over his shoulder. "Wallace! Guest passes!"

The guard with the TV dinner visibly slumped before looking up at them. "But it's the hockey _world championship_ and Finland's in the lead!"

"Wallace…."

Wallace rolled his eyes and stood, heading for another small table situated on the wall opposite the mini-fridge. He pressed a few buttons on a small contraption that was the only thing occupying the table, and the machine whirred to life, printing two small slips of paper while he grabbed two lanyards off the wall. Sliding a slip of paper into the small laminate sleeves hanging from the lanyards, he turned to Harry and Hermione, handing one lanyard to each of them.

"There you go," he said. "Enjoy your visit."

"Enjoy your game," Harry said, and Wallace smirked, moving back to previous spot and watching his game. The first guard spoke.

"Mason got here a couple minutes ago," he said. "By now, he's probably talking to Shacklebolt."

"Thanks, Goldman," Emily said. "Let's go," she said to Harry and Hermione. "Shacklebolt's using Dumbledore's office."

"How appropriate," Hermione observed wryly.

They stepped out into the corridor, and Harry felt a wave of nostalgia as he heard his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. He could almost hear the echoes of students' voices traveling down the hallway, and (though he knew it was his imagination) the smell of dinner seemed to linger in the air. The torches lining the walls had been replaced by sconce light fixtures, brightening the place considerably, though without marring the overall feel of Hogwarts.

Even after everything that had happened, it still felt like coming home.

As they moved through the corridors and up the stairs, Harry noticed several dramatic changes to Hogwarts. The air in the dungeons seemed warmer, more comfortable, and as they moved up a flight of stairs, Hermione nudged him and pointed at a ventilation duct set into the wall.

"Central air," she noted, and Harry nodded appreciatively. He also noticed speakers protruding from the walls at regular intervals. As they walked, a voice came over them.

"_Eric Wilko to the conference hall, please. Eric Wilko to the conference hall. Attention, second shift security guards. Please remember so sign your company sidearm over to the third shift officer resuming your shift._"

"Fascinating," Hermione whispered. Emily smiled over her shoulder at her.

"Yeah, the American R and D team had a lot of fun retrofitting the castle with the latest technomagic," she said. "You should see the common rooms. They have fully stock fridges and vending machines. I think the Gryffindor room even has a pool table."

Hermione giggled, and Harry chuckled as well. Something about a pool table in the Gryffindor common room just seemed too funny.

Several people in black clothing with orange phoenixes stitched onto their shirts passed them as they walked through the entrance hall. Harry assumed them to be members of the new Order of the Phoenix. Some nudged their companions and pointed at Harry, and he rolled his eyes; even the foreigners knew who he was.

Finally, they reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office, though the gargoyle guarding the entrance had been removed, leaving only the spiraling staircase beyond. They all stepped on, Harry steadying Hermione when the spinning stairs lurched underfoot. The stairs carried them upward, and Emily knocked once on the door before entering. Kingsley Shacklebolt sat at Dumbledore's usual desk, currently in conversation with Leon and two others Harry didn't recognize. Harry noticed that the portraits of the previous headmasters were all blank, even the backgrounds gone.

"Harry," Kingsley said. "You look well."

"Good to see you again, Mr. Shacklebolt."

"Please, call me Kingsley," Kingsley said, gesturing at an empty chair. "And this is Amelia Bones, head of the British Department of Magical Law Enforcement," he gestured at the woman, whose square jaw and close-cropped hair told Harry that she was not a woman to cross, "and Maxwell Lowes, the IDEA's United States ambassador," he then indicated the man, who wore a mundane-style military uniform, though Harry noticed several medals in the shape of magical creatures, a gryphon chief amongst them. "Have a seat, everybody. We have much to discuss. Mr. Mason here tells me that Tom Riddle his planning an attack on Hogwarts soon. Care to elaborate?"

Harry relayed every detail he could remember of the dream, though there wasn't much to tell, as he had only come in at the tail-end of Riddle and Wormtail's discussion. Nonetheless, as Harry finished his tale, Kingsley wore a frown as he gazed unseeingly back at him.

"He said he's learned secrets?" Kingsley said, glancing at Amelia Bones, who was now polishing a monocle she'd unearthed from her pocket. "From whom, I wonder?"

Amelia Bones shook her head, carefully placing the monocle in her eye. "There are no leaks, as far as I can tell, Minister," she said. "None that would help him take Hogwarts, in any case."

Kingsley nodded. "We'll worry about defending Hogwarts first of all, and then we'll investigate into any double-agents we may not be aware of. Harry, did Riddle say that _he_ would be here personally?"

"It…sounded like it," Harry said, and to Harry's surprise, Kingsley smiled.

"Perfect," he said, turning to Maxwell Lowes. "Mr. Lowes, you said that the United States was close to developing vampire counter-measures?"

"We've already developed fiendfyre-based flamethrowers and are training our top soldiers in their use. The rest are being equipped with conventional flamethrowers. We just need to work out a way to get around their _speed_."

"What about Time-Turners?" Hermione piped in, and they all turned to her, causing her to blush and shrink into her chair. "Just…you know, a suggestion."

"Time-Turners," Leon muttered. "I guess…. Well, that _would_ work."

"Yeah," Maxwell said, looking excitedly at the room's occupants in turn. "The Time-Turners could be modified to speed up the wearers instead of sending them back in time! If we do that, we rob the vampires of their speed advantage and turn on the flames! Kid, you're a genius!"

"Duh," Harry said, nudging Hermione and grinning. "I could've told you that." Hermione blushed under his praise.

"I need to get back to the research teams," Maxwell said, standing. He turned to Kingsley, holding out a hand, which Kingsley shook. "I'll get in touch tonight, and we'll finalize plans."

"Good luck," Kingsley said as Maxwell rushed from the room.

"Finalize plans?" Harry asked, looking from the door back to Kingsley. "On what?"

"Our counterattack," the minister replied, glancing at Madame Bones.

"While the Order is defending Hogwarts," she said, "the _IDEA_ will launch an all-out assault to take back the Ministry of Magic."

* * *

Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuun! *adopts weathered Captain Ahab accent* _Storm's a-brewin'. Gonna be a biggun._

**Vampires!:** Yes, a simple fire spell is enough to kill a single vampire. However, killing them en masse is slightly more difficult, which is why the Cullens are helping search for a phoenix, which is the only hope of taking on the Volturi in one fell swoop. More on that next chapter. If anyone can guess where the phoenix is, you get a special prize!

**Ginny gotz pwn'd:** Okay, I'll explain more on this next chapter, but the idea is that Laurent jumped at Ginny, who had her wand raised to fire a spell, just in case. He connected with her hand, biting her, and without a vampire to suck the venom out (see the end of Twilight), they had to amputate the limb to prevent the spread of the venom. She has no vampire anything in her, but she's absent a limb right now. Why? I dunno. It may pay off later on.

**New Hogwarts:** Could this be the beginning of the modernization of Hogwarts? Sure the place is a museum, but it doesn't have to _stay_ that way. Suffice it to say that Hogwarts isn't done yet.

**Impend:** This was just a scrap before the big battle. Next chapter, the tide will turn for someone, be it the Riddler and his vampire legion or the IDEA and their armed-to-the-molars technomages.

And finally, a little omake to brighten your day. This idea came from Kyprioths crow, so a happy hello to him. I embellished a little bit on his idea, adding some of my own narration, but the main idea is still his, so any praise goes to him. Thank you, Kyprioths crow!

**Harry versus the vampire.**

Harry backed up against the tree, away from the vampire, which advanced slowly, the sadistic beast clearly enjoying its prey's panic. His eyes darted around, looking for something, anything to get him out of this. After seconds that took an eternity, he saw it: a river a couple hundred feet to the west. While not important in itself, it did remind him of what he had learned of vampires in his second year. Harry quickly pointed his wand at the vampire, who at this time was nearly upon him.

"_INCENDIO_!" the fire roared from Harry's wand, and he felt the heat on his face as flames engulfed the vampire, which let out a shrill scream.

……

"But Harry," asked Hermione, after he had regaled the group with his tale, "how did you kill the vampire?"

"Well," Harry responded, "I remembered that, in Voyages with Vampires, Professor Lockhart said that he killed a vampire by holding it in a river and letting the water run over it, eventually suffocating it."

"So," Hermione questioned him, "you held it under that river nearby?"

"Of course not," Harry laughed. "Lockhart said water kills vampires, so I naturally used fire."


	20. EP 3: Chapter 6

I've executed a bit of retcon. If you go back and look at Ep. 3 Ch. 4, you'll find that the portion of the story in which the Cullen family surprises the president has been removed. I find that it no longer fits with the flow of the story. I'm sure none of you will particularly miss it.

Okay, so it has been a while since I've updated, but I've been busy with important errands…and I had lost all inspiration for the story. But it came back! A lot! So, I now present to you a nice long with chapter with 2.5 times the content! There's a rub though….

This is also the epic finale!

Yes, this is the last chapter of the story, the final battle, the climactic finish to a semi-engaging tale. It's been quite ride, but I need a break from fan fiction for a while, and I didn't want to leave my faithful fans hanging. Don't think for a moment that I forced this, either. I'm actually quite happy with how this turned out.

So, grab a snack, turn on some music, and enjoy the final chapter of _Why Dance When You Can Slay The Dragon?._

_

* * *

  
_

Episode Three

Chapter Six

I think I played a video game like this once….

"It feels weird."

"How so?"

"Just…I dunno, it's like my arm is wrapped in some kind of cloth or something."

"You'll get that," Leon said, holding out his own prosthetic arm and pulling back the sleeve to show Ginny. "The itch fades after a while, but you have to get used to the movement. Hold your arm out." He held his own out to demonstrate.

Ginny attempted to move her new arm, which immediately zipped upward, almost whipping into her face and jerking her shoulder with it.

"Ow," she muttered, and Leon hurried forward, gripping her wrist before she could move the arm in an attempt to correct herself.

"Careful now," he said, easing her arm back down to a more normal position. "The arm is moved only by magic, not nerves and stuff, so it's gonna be a little sensitive to instructions before you get the hang of it."

Ginny nodded, staring contemplatively at the stark white skin of the prosthetic before lifting her hand carefully, she succeeded in holding her arm out in front of her before the limb gave a slight spasm, at which time she let it drop so as to avoid further injury.

"Good job," Leon said, smiling at her as she flexed her fingers. "I broke my nose the first time I tried moving mine, so you're doing better than me, at least."

Ginny smiled at Leon, letting a slight giggle as the doctor moved in to perform some final calibrations to the limb. "You actually broke your nose?"

"Oh, yeah," Leon said with a chuckle, staring out the window as he remembered. "Thing swelled up until it was the size of a grapefruit. And since I'm a righty, healing it was difficult without injuring myself even more."

Ginny was grinning now, and Leon bopped her in the shoulder with his fake arm. "Don't worry. Before you know it, you won't even notice any difference."

"Thank you, Leon," Ginny said as the doctor helped her stand. "For…everything. Saving my life and helping me with…this," she carefully held the arm up. Leon ruffled her hair, and she smiled at him, her heart pounding as she contemplated what she'd been wanting to do since Leon had arrived this morning.

"Glad to help," Leon said, and Ginny took a tentative step toward him, steeling herself before wrapping her arms around him in a hug, taking care not to crush him with her prosthetic. Leon chuckled and she felt a hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair for just a moment. "All right," he said. "Just don't let Emily catch you doing that. She might get jealous."

Ginny laughed before pulling away, smiling up at him. "Sorry," she said, dropping her arms to her sides. Her right arm twitched again, flexing involuntarily. "I, um…sorry."

Leon grinned, and she felt her face heat up. "No worries. Sometimes you just need a hug, right?"

His watch beeped at that moment, and he glanced at it. "Shit," he muttered. "I gotta go. The Order's having a meeting to finalize plans to defend Hogwarts."

Ginny pouted as Leon pulled away from her. "Why can't I help? Even Harry and Ron and Hermione get to help fight."

"They've been moved to Hogwarts for their own safety," Leon explained. "We don't know if Denson will be targeted again, so Dunlap's not safe anymore. They won't be fighting, though, not if we can help it. You're safe here in Phoenix, and I intend to _keep_ it that way."

Ginny sighed, and Leon grinned again, playfully bopping her on the head. "Look, just stay here, get better, and _behave_. For me."

Ginny felt a pang at those words. "Fine," she muttered, and Leon let a short laugh.

"That was easy," he observed, and Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. Leon laughed, giving her a little wave.

"Until we meet again," he said, stepping backward and disappearing in a wisp.

At least he knew how to make an exit, Ginny allowed, as she scooted back into her bed.

……

"So, here's what we know," Madame Bones said, nodding at a large holographic screen that had been erected in the Great Hall where the staff dining table had once been. "Shortly before the Ministry was captured, we planted a large amount of magical probes within the halls," she gestured at the screen, which displayed a floor map of the Ministry and showed many dots scattered throughout. "They were enchanted with simple sound recording spells. Basically, they were designed to enable us to listen in on the enemy if the Ministry were ever to be captured. It goes without saying that we'd hoped to never need them.

"Riddle and his cohorts discovered quite a few of these probes," Bones went on, and many of the dots disappeared, "but they missed one in the Minister's office and in a few other key places. With the help of these probes, we've learned that he plans to attack the day after tomorrow. We've already evacuated all non-combat personnel, leaving you." She nodded out at the assembled troops, who were crammed into the already cavernous hall. She was pleased with the number of troops present, at least.

"Now, we believe Riddle will want to use his vampires as shock troopers. For that, we've developed…."

……

"The TanakaCo HI Unit, Mk. 1," the lead technician, Alex Tatsumiya, explained to Kingsley, who looked in amazement at what appeared to be suits of armor designed for cave trolls. Dozens of dozens of the things packed the newly refurbished Chamber of Secrets, and a team of seven "technicians" were performing calibrations on them using mundane tools.

"And…what is it?" Kingsley asked, peering closely at one of him. To his utter shock, it sprang to life, hundreds of small parts whirring and clanking as it turned to stare at him with a single glowing blue eye.

"CIVILIAN," it said in an inhuman monotonous voice, "STEP AWAY! THIS UNIT IS ARMED WITH THE LATEST FIRE-BASED WEAPONRY AND IS DANGEROUS IF NOT HANDLED BY A LICENSED TANAKACO ROBOTICS TECHNICIAN!"

Kingsley stared, and Alex chuckled. "Well, the human interaction programming is working just fine. HI Unit," he said, and the beast turned to stare at him, "begin firearms test protocol."

"CONFIRMED, FIREARMS TEST PROTOCOL. EXECUTING COMMAND."

The beast turned and walked past Kingsley, each step causing the ground to shudder slightly as it moved. Alex spoke to Kingsley.

"Recently, TanakaCo had a breakthrough in magical AI, or artificial intelligence," he said, leading the Minister to follow the beast. "Coupled with a magic-based motion system and the latest mundane guidance technology, we've be able to create robotic soldiers."

"Robotic…?" the word was foreign to Kingsley, and Alex nodded.

"Like a metal creature with a computer for a brain," he said. "This one is modeled loosely after a Himalayan Mountain Troll and has dual wrist-mounted – "

_Whump-BOOOOOM!_ Alex's comment was cut off as the robot raised its right arm, firing a large ball of flame at the far wall, and even several yards back, Kingsley felt the heat. Just as Kingsley was about to try and speak, the robot lowered its arm and raised the left one.

_Whump-BOOOOOOM!_ The other ball of flame was just as large, only serving to enlarge the rather sizable black mark left on the wall by the first.

"WRIST MOUNTED INCENDIARY PROJECTILES TEST COMPLETED. NOW TESTING CHEST-MOUNTED INCENDIARY PROJECTILES," the robot said. "CIVILIANS ARE ADVISED TO ACTIVATE FIRE SHIELDS OR CLEAR A FIFTY YARD RADIUS. FIVE…FOUR…."

"Ah," Alex said, pulling out his wand and waving it in a simple swirling motion. "Watch _this_ shit."

"ONE."

_Ploomp…WHOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAMMMM!!!_

The robot disappeared amidst a ball of flame, which stopped abruptly at an invisible barrier just ten feet in front of Kingsley.

"Effective radius is one hundred forty feet," Alex said with a grin, and Kingsley nodded, duly impressed. Alex lowered the barrier as the fire faded, revealing the robot standing right in front of them. Alex addressed it, "HI Unit. Weapons inventory."

"THIS UNIT IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO WRIST-MOUNTED FIRE CANNONS, CHEST MOUNTED PROJECTILE INCENDIARY EXPLOSIVE DEVICE, AND LASER OPTICAL WEAPON. WEAPONS ARE RUNNING AT ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT CAPACITY. THIS UNIT IS COMBAT READY, SIR!"

"If vampires are weak against fire," Alex said, "we'll give 'em fire."

……

"Just fire, sir?"

"Well, this ain't just an _Incendio_ spell," General Lowes said, holding up what appeared to be nothing more than a hunting rifle. "This is fiendfyre. This is _not_ an ordinary flame. You don't _fire_ this stuff, you _release_ it. Observe."

He held up the rifle and pulled his wand out of his pocket, sliding it into the stock before placing it against his shoulder. He turned to aim in the general direction of the Forbidden Forest, peering through the scope and squeezing the trigger.

A huge ball of flame flew out of the end, morphing in midair to form into a tiger before it landed weightlessly on the floor, tethered to the barrel of the gun by a thin rope of flame. It roared soundlessly, the rushing of the flames the only noise it made. General Lowes moved the gun, and the tiger leaped across the grass, pawing at the ground. He slid something on the side of the weapon, and the tiger shrank back into a ball of flame before retracting back into the gun.

"Concentration is of the utmost importance when using fiendfyre," he said to the assembled soldiers. "Lose control, and you get burned, no pun intended."

A nervous chuckle rang from the crowd as two men passed out rifles identical to the one Lowes had used.

"Ready, then?"

……

"Aw, can't I stay just a little longer?" Hermione asked, sounding very much like a child in the toy aisle of a shopping center.

"Hermione, the library will still be here tomorrow," Harry said with a grin, and Hermione blushed. "And it's not like we have classes to keep us from dropping by whenever we want."

"Let me finish this chapter, then," Hermione said. "It's about defensive spells used by eleventh century Chinese warlords in their battle against Taiwanese invaders."

Harry was unsure of the exact location of Taiwan (not to mention exactly what had provoked them to invade magical China), but apparently Hermione found it important, so he plopped down in a seat next to her and rested his head on her shoulder as she read. She laughed and reached her free hand up to run her fingers through his hair, and he closed his eyes sighing.

"You can read as long as you want if you keep that up," he said, and Hermione giggled.

"Deal," she said, twitching a lock of his hair. Harry moved against her shoulder and kissed her neck, just below the jaw line. She sighed contentedly, turning to kiss him and closing her book.

"Well, I suppose the Chinese warlords can wait," she whispered, and Harry grinned.

"They can keep themselves occupied," he said. "They have a country to defend."

……

"And I think we'll do a damn good job of it," Leon said, lounging in a chair in Kingsley Shacklebolt's office. "Between the robots, armored shock troopers, and those turrets the Japanese are developing, I'd say we stand a pretty good chance."

"Don't get complacent," Kingsley said, standing with his back to Leon and staring out the great window in the headmaster's office. Outside, the great lake was just visible, the surface flat like glass, showing a prefect reflection of the crescent moon. "The fight hasn't even started yet." Leon nodded, and Kingsley turned away from the window, regarding the principal with a critical eye. He didn't know much of the young man, only that he was a capable teacher and quite a skilled fighter, and he was fiercely protective of his students, including Harry and his friends. "You said you had something to tell me?"

"Kinda," Leon shrugged. "You mentioned at the last meeting that Riddle may have made horcruxes." Kingsley nodded, and he continued. "I think we should tell Harry about them."

Kingsley paused, considering those words. "I know we're supposed to be under a 'no secrets' policy with him, but…what could be gained from Harry knowing about horcruxes?"

"Harry and Riddle are connected," Leon said. "We know that. Between all of the dreams he's had over the years and his ability to see Riddle's plans, there's really no question. And, when those vampires attacked Denson, Harry read Riddle's mind, I'm sure of it."

"How are you so sure?"

"He knew Riddle sent the vampires," Leon said. "They never said a word about why they were there, but Harry knew. And I think, if Harry were told about the horcruxes – "

"He'd be able to pull their location from Riddle's mind the same as he did before," Kingsley interjected thoughtfully, staring contemplatively at the blank portraits all around them. "It's a stretch, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We should tell him as soon as possible."

Leon nodded, grinning. "I'll go get him," he said, standing. "I'm pretty sure I know where they are."

……

There they were, in the library, and books were quite the last thing on her mind.

Her primary concern was the pair of piercing green eyes currently staring into hers as a hand slid behind her back, expertly releasing the clasp of her bra. Said hand then proceeded to toss the flimsy garment aside and give some much needed attention to her right breast.

"Oh…" Hermione gasped, and Harry's lips ghosted across hers. She quickly returned the kiss, eagerly deepening it, and Harry made a small laughing noise against her mouth. She pulled away, looking quickly around the darkened library. "What if we get caught?"

"What'll they do?" Harry said with a (very, _very_ dashing) smirk. "Put us in detention?"

He had a point; currently, the last thing anyone in this castle wanted to do was something that went against Harry Potter's best interests. And currently, his best interests seemed to be certain parts of Hermione's anatomy.

"I suppose you have a…p-point," Hermione faltered slightly as his hand slid up her thigh, stopping at the hem of her skirt. "Don't stop," she whispered.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, and she nodded. Harry hands shook as he slid them further up her thigh to the apex of her legs, and Hermione shuddered as his fingers lightly brushed her panties.

At which point, a small piece of paper folded into an origami swan fluttered around both of their heads, and for a comical moment, they followed its progress, frozen in their rather compromising position. The swan landed on Hermione's stomach and looked expectantly up at Harry, who finally unfolded himself from Hermione and took the letter, which reassembled itself in his hand. On it, Harry saw a rather simple scrawl that looked more like the work of an ink pen than a quill.

_Whenever you two are finished, please report to Kingsley's office. There's something important to discuss._

_  
Also, two tips:_

_1. If you're going to use the library for a private rendezvous, it's best to head to the back shelves. Much more privacy._

_2. Try and learn a few contraceptive charms. That way, you don't have to worry about any little "accidents"._

_Oh, and you can bet Sirius is gonna hear about this._

_Best wishes,_

_Leon_

"Oh, I hate that man," Hermione said, already pulling her bra back on.

……

"Who are you talking about, Ginny?"

Ginny jerked awake at the sound of her mother's voice. She had dozed off and dreamt about…something…she couldn't even remember anymore.

"Oh…just dreaming," she replied. "Did you get some breakfast?"

Mum nodded, smiling at her. "Yes, I did. Your brothers are getting some food right now, and they'll be right up."

Ginny nodded, leaning back against the bed and staring down at her new arm. It still felt strange to look down at skin that was supposed to be slightly tanned (with a light spattering of freckles) and see this ghostly white "artificial skin", the doctor had called it. She flexed her fingers and worked the joints in her elbow, as the doctor had instructed she do, so as to adjust the arm to her preferred movements. It was getting easier; she barely missed knocking her bedside lamp down, but managed to stop herself.

"How does it feel?" Mum asked, and Ginny shrugged, noticing that her right shoulder moved almost in unison with the left.

"It's getting better," she said. "I think by tomorrow, I'll able to pick something up without shattering it." She smiled at her joke, and her mother chuckled.

"Well, dear, if you don't mind me leaving you alone, I have to use the loo," she stood, and Ginny nodded.

"The boys'll be back soon, you said," she said.

As her mother left, she settled back against her pillows, glancing over at the remote on her bedside table. Carefully as she could, she reached out with her right hand and gently grasped the remote.

_Ker-SNAP!_

"Son of a bloody bitch!" she hissed, glad her mother was out of earshot. Huffing and slumping back in her bed, she reached up to press the call button, lowering her hand when she saw someone enter her room.

He was dressed in the typical doctor garb, but something was…off. His face was inhumanly handsome and pale as fallen snow.

Her blood froze.

Not here…. Not again….

"Oh, my," the vampire said, a gentle smile on his face (though the calming effect was ruined by his blood red eyes). "It seems I've been found out already." Suddenly, he was at her side, too close; she could see every feature in his chiseled face. "We'll just skip the formalities and move to the part where I whisk you away."

……

A grinning Leon and an exasperated Kingsley awaited Harry and Hermione as they entered the former headmaster's office, along with Sirius and Remus, who were seated opposite the Minister with Leon.

"Sirius," Harry said. "Remus. I didn't know you two were here."

"Just arrived about an hour ago," Sirius said, grinning at Harry. "We would've come to see you, but Leon told us you were…busy."

Harry felt his face heat up, and Sirius burst into laughter, clapping his godson on the shoulder. "Way to go, pup!"

"Oh, shut up, Sirius," Hermione grumbled, plopping into a chair next to Remus. She, it seemed, was taking the development worse than Harry. "You wanted to talk to us, Minister?"

"Actually, yes," Kingsley said, glaring at Sirius and Leon as another chuckling fit threatened. "We wanted to ask you – "

_BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!_

Everyone in the room looked wildly around as a buzzing sound filled the air around them, then back at Kingsley desk as a red phone setting on it rang. He picked it up.

"Kingsley. …How many? Vampires? …Damn. …Mobilize the robots and _stick to the plan_. If you need me, I'm on the walkie, frequency six."

He hung up the phone and looked at the assembled guests. "It seems Riddle has moved his plans up."

……

Elijah let an amused laugh as he listened to the sounds of the humans scrambling to ready themselves for the attack, as if they stood a chance.

"All right, everyone," he said, glancing at the other vampires. "Shall we eat?"

The other vampires nodded, some grinning, others stepping forward, their skin lighting up in the moonlight. Good. This would prove yet another distraction for the humans.

_Whump-BOOOOOOOOM!!_

Elijah only managed to jump out of the way as a ball of flame erupted to their right. He looked to the right to see about five large metal…trolls…making their way toward the assembly.

"What the blazes?" Peter said from directly behind him.

"Scatter," Elijah said, and they spread out as fast as their vampiric speed would allow.

"TARGETS IN MOTION," a monster said. "INITIATING TRAJECTORY AUTO-CORRECTION PROGRAMMING. INITIATING MAGICAL ACCELERANT MODULE. ENEMIES OF THE I.D.E.A! PREPARE TO BURN!"

_Whump-BOOOOOOOM! Whump-whump BOOOBOOOOOOOOOOM!_

The air was filled with explosions as Elijah dodged and dodged, coming to a halt to launch an attack on the metal beasts, only to be stymied by another as it launched a fire attack at them.

"Swarm one of them!" Elijah yelled. "We'll take them down one at a time!"

Elijah ran at a beast, accompanied by Peter, Lewis, and Arianna. With a jolt, he realized that the other four of his company had been incinerated already.

"FRONTAL ATTACK DETECTED!" the beast said in that strange monotonous voice, a plate moving aside on its chest to reveal what appeared to be a small cannon. "FIRE CHEST PROJECTILE!"

_Ploomp…WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!!_

And Elijah knew no more.

……

"Any action yet?" General Lowes asked, stepping into the Minister's office. Two men flanking the door sprang to a salute, and he waved them off.

"Those robots have eliminated what we think was a scouting party," Kingsley said. "I'm surprised. We didn't even lose any of them."

"Gotta hand it to those Japanese," Lowes said, moving to stand next to Kingsley as he surveyed a large holographic map of Hogwarts. "How are our defenses?"

"Sniping teams are in place," Kingsley said, gesturing at the various towers and turrets around the castle, "and defense teams are set up on each of the walls. The robots are patrolling the grounds and are under orders to eliminate unauthorized personnel on sight."

"Excellent," Lowes said, eyeing the diagram. "What are these passages leading out of the castle?"

"Secret passages," Kingsley said with a small laugh. "Apparently the founders had them built as a quick escape in the event that the castle was taken over. Harry actually told us about them."

"They've been blocked?"

"Naturally," Kingsley said. "We caved them in as soon as possible and set up a robot in each one for good measure."

"Great," Lowes said, looking puzzled as five large red dots appeared on the map, many smaller ones swarming around them. "What are those?"

"Minister!" a voice came over the intercom next to the map. "Giants! I count…four…five! And dementors! A ton, at their feet!"

"Send out the choppers," Kingsley said. "Have the patronus casters sent to the front line."

"Yessir," the voice said, and the line cut out.

"And Potter?" Lowes asked. Kingsley smiled.

"He's under the finest protection available."

……

"I feel like I should be out there fighting," Sirius said, and Leon chuckled.

"Be my guest," he said, unsheathing his sword and eyeing the blade. "I've had enough vamps to last me a lifetime."

"I bet I could take 'em," Sirius said, and Leon smirked, holding up his right arm.

"Yeah, and you might only lose an arm."

Currently, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Remus, Leon, and Emily were all sitting in what used to be the Slytherin common room. Sirius, it seemed, was becoming restless.

"So, why the sword?" Sirius asked, nodding at the blade. Leon let a single laugh.

"Long story," he said. "I'll tell ya later."

Sirius said something else, but Harry didn't hear it; he didn't hear anything. Instead, a rushing sound filled his ears, like he was underwater. He blinked, and suddenly, he wasn't in the Slytherin common room anymore….

"_My Lord, your guest has arrived."_

"_Ah, very prompt," Harry felt himself saying, in a voice that was so cold, he almost felt a chill run down his spine. "Show her in."_

_Harry turned around and saw Wormtail exit the room. Moments later, a ghostly pale man entered the room, toting a girl with flaming red hair._

Ginny!_ Harry wanted to shout, but it seemed he didn't have control of himself. Ginny was still wearing her hospital gown, her pale new arm glowing almost as much as the vampire's._

"_Harry," he found himself saying. "I know you can see this just as clearly as I've seen many of your actions in the past weeks."_

"_Let me go!" Ginny shouted, and Harry felt himself pull out a wand._

"Stupefy_," he hissed, and Ginny fell unconscious. "Now, if you want your friend returned, go to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade in one hour. You'll receive further instruction there. Oh, and Harry…. Don't be late. I don't know how long I can keep this young lady secret from my men, and I know they would love to meet her."_

The rushing sound filled his ears again, and he heard shouting.

"Harry! Harry, wake up!"

Harry blinked his eyes open, and he was back in the common room, now lying on the couch he had previously been sitting on. Someone had removed his glasses; he looked blearily around, blurry figures making their way around his field of vision in the distance, he heard Leon arguing with someone.

"He's awake!" Hermione's voice said, and Harry felt someone hand him his glasses. He slid them on and sat up. "Easy, slowly." Hermione helped him sit up, and he looked at the scared faces around him.

"You okay?" Sirius asked, and Harry nodded. He was shaky, and he felt a cold sweat on his forehead, but this was nothing new.

"Y-yeah, I'm alright," he said, then remembered his dream. He stood quickly, swaying as he did, and Sirius steadied him. "Ginny! Riddle has her!"

"What?" Ron asked sharply, moving forward. "Was that what you dreamed about?"

"In the dream, I…I was Riddle," Harry said, straining to keep the dream with him. "A vampire brought Ginny in, and Riddle said…. He knew I was there. He said that I needed to be at the Shrieking Shack in an hour or Ginny…. He said his men would love to _meet_ her."

Ron looked revolted, and Leon snapped his phone shut in the background.

"She's not in her hospital bed," he said, opening the phone again and dialing at lightning speed. He placed it against his ear. "Sean. Listen, get some of our guys together and search the hospital. Check the security cameras and look for portkey traces. Ask if anyone remembers seeing any new doctors, nurses, suspicious guests, the whole gamut. …Bye."

"Are we going to Shrieking Shack?"

"Yeah," Leon said, gripping the hilt of his sword. "But not unprepared."

……

Captain Aaron Denmark had flown many missions that could be classified as "unusual" in his life. He'd covered the extraction of a Saint Bernard in Kuwait because it had swallowed a microchip with highly classified documents, chased down a prototype chopper after a lead engineer had gotten drunk and hijacked it (the engineer was now serving a life sentence in an undisclosed military compound), and even rescued a woman and her six pet cows from certain doom during the flooding following a hurricane.

This, however, took the proverbial cake.

"And to think, I was gonna retire to the desk after the hurricane," he muttered to his gunner, First Sergeant Nate Mutti. "Now I'm defending a magical school against a giant."

"Five, actually," his gunner corrected him. "Incoming hand!"

Aaron veered to the right, bringing the chopper around. "Lock onto its head and fire a missile. We'll find out how tough these things are."

"On it," the First Sergeant said.

Roughly a month ago, Aaron, along with several other renowned pilots, had been contacted by an organization calling themselves IDEA, asking if they were willing to fly some of the most dangerous missions they would ever encounter. The pay was high enough to promise Aaron an early retirement and a very comfortable existence for the rest of his days, as well as a university education for all three of his children, so he agreed to hear what they had to say.

That was when things got weird….

He'd been rather abruptly introduced to this "magical world" by the arrival of a "house-elf" named Jocko, who introduced him to the British Minister for Magic. Apparently, his flying prowess was good enough to merit the breaking of a "Statute of Secrecy".

And now, he was flying an enchanted AH-64D "Apache" helicopter and fighting against a giant, as were several other pilots that he was at least acquainted with.

"Firing missile," Mutti said, and they watched the homing missile arc through the air and collide with the giant's head, detonating. The giant reeled back, falling to the ground, its head ripped to shreds.

"Yes!" the First Sergeant said, and Aaron reeled the chopper around to start in on another giant. As they fixed the giant in their sights, something flitted across the domed window, and Aaron jumped.

"What was…?"

He didn't get a chance to finish his question, as a black…thing latched itself onto the cockpit, sucking in a ragged breath that even Aaron could hear.

"AAAAAAAHHH!" Mutti screamed. "What the hell is that thing!?"

"I dunno, but I'm shaking it off," Aaron said, his hands shaking as he gripped the steering mechanism. When did it get so cold in here? As he executed a simple spinning maneuver, another creature latched itself onto the cockpit, which was now frosting over.

"Shit! Get on the radio!"

"Control, this is Red Four, something's latched onto our cockpit! It's black, and it looks like it's wearing some kinda cape!"

"Copy, Red Four," a voice came over the radio. "Sit tight, reinforcements are en route."

Even as Control said this, a silvery glow appeared on the left side of the cockpit, growing steadily brighter until Aaron had to squint to see through it. What seemed to be some sort of silver creature was driving off the black caped ones.

"Red Four, Control, do you copy?"

"Copy, Control. Hostiles driven off. Thanks."

"Don't mention it," the voice said, and Aaron rolled his eyes, swinging the chopper back on course.

Frickin' magicians.

……

Even in Hogsmeade, Harry could still hear the echoes of the battle, the giants' roars, the steady thumping of the helicopters' blades, and the intermittent explosions as missiles were launched. Somehow, he felt detached from the whole thing as he ascended the steep hill to the Shrieking Shack, the others in tow. To him, this epic battle was nothing more than a mingling of sounds, and he had his own fight. They stopped just out of sight of the building, Leon and Sirius peering through the trees.

"I don't see any Death Eaters or vampires," Leon said, looking at Sirius.

"I doubt he'd want to spring a trap here," Sirius said, turning back to the group. "Too close to reinforcements."

"So, what's the plan?" Emily asked. Leon nodded at Hermione, who stepped toward Harry, drawing a necklace out of her pocket.

"This is a quick escape necklace, Harry," she said, reaching around his neck to do the clasp. She lingered for a moment, touching her forehead to his and giving him a kiss. "It has a cubic zirconium in it that I've programmed to transport you to my location. As soon as you see Ginny, get to her, grab hold, and say 'foxtrot'."

Harry cocked his head at the odd codeword, and Hermione seemed to read his mind.

"We needed a codeword you wouldn't accidentally blurt out, just in case," she said. Harry nodded, incapable of actually saying anything, and Hermione pulled away. "Don't get in over your head. Find out where Ginny is, get to her, and get out of there. "

Harry nodded again; he didn't fancy another duel with Riddle, even if he was getting rather good at it. He turned to face the Shrieking Shack, taking a deep breath and making for the front gate, which opened as soon as he reached it. Heart hammering, he stepped over the threshold.

Nothing happened. He continued forward, stepping over molehills and knots of tall grass, tripping once and almost falling. When he was almost to the shack itself, a creaking noise behind him made him jump, and he turned just in time to see the gate clank shut, latching itself securely.

A rustling sound, movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw a shudder rippling through the tall grass heading, toward him. He raised his wand, ready to defend himself when he felt something contact his back.

The world around him seemed to dissolve as he felt that familiar sensation of a hook being latched behind his navel, and he was hurtling forward to whatever destination Riddle had planned for him.

……

He landed on grass, but he knew before he'd even moved that he was somewhere very different. The air smelled different here, cleaner, and there was a slight breeze where there had been none before. He stood up and gasped at what he saw. Before his eyes sat a ruined house, covered in ivy and clearly rundown in its age. It would have looked like any abandoned cottage save for the gaping hole in the top right of the place, evidence of a terrible conflict. Harry didn't know why, but his heart hammered as he took in the sight of this place.

To his right was a sign:

_On this spot, on 31 October 1981,_

_Lily and James Potter lost their lives._

_Their son, Harry, remains the only wizard_

_ever to have survived the Killing Curse._

_This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left_

_in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters_

_and as a reminder of the violence_

_that tore apart their family._

On the sign, all around the neatly written letters, were various well-wishings from other magic-users who had passed through this place, hoping to see the spot where the great and terrible Lord Voldemort had met his first defeat; a defeat unknowingly orchestrated by himself.

"A place full of memories for the both of us, isn't it, Harry?"

The voice chilled Harry to the bone, and he turned, his hand gripping his wand, freezing at what he saw.

"Dumbledore?" he asked, and the new arrival let a high-pitched laugh that made the hairs on Harry's neck stand on end.

"Not anymore, I'm afraid," he said. "The Albus Dumbledore that you know is long gone, and as my own form suffered a minor setback, I was forced to use this one."

The new Dumbledore had dispensed of his long hair and beard, the bald look only serving to accent his long, crooked nose. The eyes were the same bright blue shade, though they shared Riddle's signature slit-like pupils. The transformation was completed by a long, flowing black robe.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked, refusing to be sidetracked by the fact that his former headmaster and arch nemesis now seemed to be one and the same.

Dumbledore-Riddle leered. "Not distracted by anything, Harry?" he said, and Harry suppressed a shudder at his voice; it sounded like a horrible mix of Dumbledore's soft-spoken tones and Riddle's high-pitched hiss of a voice. "She'll be here soon enough. And unfortunately for you, you won't be managing any daring escapes this time." As he said this, Riddle raised a hand and gave it a wave, and Harry's necklace flew from around his neck and into Riddle's hand. "Really, I'm surprised at how little forethought your friends gave this little scheme before sending you to your death."

Harry watched as Riddle crushed the necklace in his grip, letting the pieces drop to the ground. There went his escape, Harry thought, gripping his wand tighter. No matter. Sirius had been attempting to teach him how to apparate; no better time than the present to attempt a field test.

"Now, let's bring out the guest of honor," Riddle said, and in a blur of color, Ginny staggered into view, stumbling and falling to the ground, her hands bound. She was still wearing her flimsy hospital gown, and she looked terrified but otherwise intact.

"What did you - ?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about what's been done to her," Riddle said, pulling out his wand. "I'd be more concerned about – "

_BAMM!_

……

_Blackness…._

_Cold…._

_Tired…._

_Sleep now…._

_Sleep, Harry Potter…. There's no need to trouble yourself with this world anymore. Rest. You can stay here and sleep forever._

Sleep? Why would he want to sleep? There was a battle to be fought.

_The fight is won. Don't worry. The war is finished. Your work is over. Now sleep._

Something was wrong. The voice (if there could be a voice without sound) made him…nervous.

_Sleep, Harry. Here, in this comfortable between, forever._

"NO!"

With a great effort, Harry forced his eyes open, jerking to a sitting position.

But he wasn't in Godric's Hollow anymore. He didn't know where he was, if he was anywhere….

He was lying on a white marble platform roughly fifty feet in diameter. The marble was slightly warm to the touch, as though it had been in the sun all day, which was odd; there was no sun to speak of. Around the edge of the platform, stationed at ten foot intervals, were thick, white stone pillars supporting a huge stained glass window nearly a hundred feet above him. The window itself depicted a golden ring, a silver locket, an ornate cup, a crown of some sort, and a coiled snake, all situated in a circle around a black figure. The significance of these items was lost on Harry. The sky outside the pillars was pitch black, dotted with stars.

"Well, hello, Harry," a chilling voice said, and Harry turned abruptly, gasping at what he saw.

It was himself. But more shocking was the thing in his other self's arms; he'd seen that creature once before, on a dark, cold night in a faraway graveyard, a night he'd rather forget. The primordial Lord Voldemort looked the same; the same reddened skin, the same slit-like eyes, the same child-sized body. The Harry doppelganger showed no signs of revulsion or even awe at the thing in his arms. Indeed, he showed no emotion at all. The green eyes carried a hollow, deadened look, like a doll made to seem human.

"Ah, this," the primordial Voldemort said, gesturing at the Harry copy with a tiny, malformed hand. "This is the fragment of my soul that resides in your body."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, surprisingly calm at this revelation. He realized he should be shocked at the fact that he shared a fragment of Voldemort's soul, but something about it felt…fitting.

"You know, Harry," Voldemort said. "You know for the same reason that I do. Because Dumbledore had deduced the fact."

"Because of the…magical introspection," Harry said. "I didn't just take a look at my life…I looked at Dumbledore's…and yours."

Riddle nodded. "Very good. At that single point, the three of us became one, in mind at least. It was a blunder on my part, I'm afraid. I was yet unaware that part of my soul was in you, and I'd already taken Dumbledore as a horcrux. The rest, as they say, is history."

"So, what now?" Harry asked. "Where are we?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Voldemort asked, his voice condescending, his nonexistent lips turned up in a leer. "This, Harry, is the gateway to your mind. You, or rather this projection of you, are the last defense against me. When I defeat you, your mind is forfeit."

Instinctively, Harry reached for his wand, only to find that he didn't have one. Where was his wand?

"I'm afraid magic won't do you any good here, Harry," Voldemort said. "This is a battle of souls. And I have backup."

The Harry puppet snapped his fingers, and a hissing sound echoed throughout the chamber. Harry watched as Voldemort's snake, Nagini, he recalled, slithered to the Harry doll's feet, carrying three items. The first was a locket, which was hanging loosely from the creature's neck, along with what looked like a crown. In its mouth, it held the handle of a cup. Harry instinctively glanced up at the stained-glass window in the ceiling.

"Made the connection, have you?" Voldemort said, and Harry looked back at him. "Yes, these are my horcruxes. I'm laying all my cards on the table, as the muggles say. Know this, Harry. Should you destroy any of these horcruxes, they will be destroyed on the outside as well. I tell you this because you have no hope of accomplishing such a feat."

Harry watched as the three horcruxes floated into the air, thick green smoke billowing around them. The smoke grew until the separate clouds were nearly bigger than Harry, then began to solidify, first obscuring the horcruxes, then forming into creatures.

The cup horcrux formed into what looked like an animal, the green smoke taking on a yellow hue and gaining the texture of fur; a massive canary yellow badger with glowing red eyes. It eyed Harry, pawing the marble floor in anticipation.

The necklace formed into a snake, though it was much bigger than Nagini, nearly sixty feet long. Harry had a brief flashback to his encounter with the basilisk; this creature bore enough of a resemblance. The only difference seemed to be the eyes. The normally yellow eyes of the basilisk were the same glowing red as the badger's.

Harry knew what to expect with the crown. Sure enough, the smoke changed from green to blue, forming into a monstrous eagle, which stared down at Harry with the same glowing red eyes.

"Breathtaking, aren't they?" Voldemort said, and Harry looked to see his copy setting the baby Voldemort next to Nagini, who coiled around her master like some horrifying pet. "I only wish they could do this on the outside."

"I'll bet," Harry muttered. Voldemort certainly had a flair for the dramatic.

"So, Harry, is your soul strong enough to defeat all four of mine? Let's find out."

As one, the Hogwarts symbols and the Harry copy ran at Harry, the eagle swooping in first. Harry jumped to the side, tucking into a roll as he had learned in dueling practice. Unfortunately, he had no wand for a counterattack, so he could only dodge again as his copy swiped at him with a long, thin sword. Next, the badger came at him, swiping at him with claws far too long to be seen on a normal one. Harry ducked under the claws, spinning behind the beast as the eagle swooped in for another attack, its talons raking across Harry's arm, though he felt no pain at the impact.

Dodging a flurry of swipes from his clone, Harry spun to the side and grabbed the copy's arm, twisting it in an effort to disarm him. The clone seemed to have quite a grip, though, as he spun away from Harry's attack and nearly impaled him, but Harry ducked under the thrust.

_I can't keep dodging like this!_ Harry said, leaping out of the way of the massive snake as it struck at him. _But how can I match Voldemort in a duel? He so much more powerful, even with all the training I've had!_

He stumbled over the snake's tail as he dodged another swipe from his clone's sword, falling back. As the snake reared back for what was sure to be the final strike, Harry squeezed his eyes shut, thinking of Hermione, of how he'd never be able to see her again, never be able to say goodbye or how much he loved her….

_CLANG!!_

That wasn't the right sound, he mused, as he opened his eyes.

"What?"

Before him stood what could only be described as a knight in shining armor, standing roughly eight feet tall, complete with a gleaming sword and a shield emblazoned with a stylized heart. Its sword was currently impaled in the roof of the serpent's mouth in an uncanny recreation of Harry's slaying of basilisk in his second year.

The knight gripped the sword and pulled it towards him, slicing the basilisk's head right up the middle and sending a blood spray that turned to red smoke and dissipated in thin air. The snake let out a shrill cry and coiled in on itself before evaporating similarly, its shrieks echoing even as the locket contained within it clattered to the ground. Simultaneously, Harry and his clone glanced at the locket before dashing for it. Harry's knight ran alongside him, and Harry did the first thing that came to his mind; he gave a command to it.

"Block him!" he shouted, and the knight raised its shield, dashing at the Harry clone and shoving him aside. Harry grabbed the locket, looking up as a horrible sound pierced his ears.

_TSEEEEEER!!_

The eagle! Harry pulled another dodge roll as the eagle flew by, its wingtips just grazing his shoulders. As his knight ran past him in pursuit of the eagle, Harry stared at the locket, unsure of what to do. How did he destroy a horcrux?

_Not the horcrux,_ he realized. _The battle's all symbolic. This is the actual piece of Voldemort's soul. And a whole soul crushes a fragment any day._

And he did just that; he squeezed with all his might, crushing the locket within his fist. His nails dug at his palm, and he gritted his teeth at the effort. The locket began to pulse, which quickly increased in tempo as Harry clutched tighter, until finally he felt a snap. He opened his fist to reveal the locket snapped clean in two, the pieces dissolving into smoke and floating away.

"NOOOOO!" Voldemort hissed, and Harry looked at him with a grin.

"Your need for immortality was your undoing, _Tom_," he said. "All you've done is broken your soul into bite size pieces for easy destruction."

"KILL HIM!" Riddle screamed at his remaining fragments. Harry's knight was back at his side, sword drawn. Harry found himself again thinking of Hermione, of how many times she'd been his knight in shining armor. Not in the literal sense, but by simply being there for him, saving his skin, helping him with the dragon in the Triwizard Tournament, and just generally being the girl he loved.

The knight ran forward, sword held at its side, and brought it up in a clean swipe at the badger, which dodged the blow. Bringing the sword up for another swing, the knight raised its shield as the Harry clone ran at it, and the clone's blade bounced off the shield. The badger leaped, and the knight spun, cleaving its head clean off. The separate pieces continued to fly, eventually dissipating in a puff of smoke. There was a clatter as the cup bounced to the floor, and Harry ran for it, aware of a rushing sound behind him. He skidded to a halt, grabbing the cup, and turned just in time to see his knight leap into the air, sword raised above its head, and bring its blade down on the eagle, which had been pursuing him. Seconds later, the crown fell to the ground, and Harry scooped that up, too, crushing both fragments in the same manner as the first.

"How is this possible!?" Riddle screamed as the Harry clone circled warily, the only combatant left. Harry looked at his knight, who was matching the clone's every movement. He noticed, for the first time, that the heart on the knight's shield was dimly glowing white.

_Symbolic…. A heart…. Love…._

The knight had appeared when Harry had been thinking of Hermione, of how much he loved her, and it had seemed to gain a power boost when he thought of her again.

_But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…._

The words of the prophecy Kingsley had shown him came back to him. What if this power…was love?

He thought of Sirius, how much he loved the man who was like a father, _his_ father's best friend; of Remus, and how the three of them had had a bond close as brotherhood; of Ron, and how he shared a similar bond with his best friend; of Hagrid, the first friend he had ever known in his entire life, who had introduced him to the this wonderful new life; of Hermione, his first true love, and how very much she meant to him, how he couldn't bear to live apart from her; of his Mum and Dad, and how despite having never met them, he loved them most of all, for their sacrifice, for their unwavering love and their willingness to brave death itself to ensure his continued life….

"What is this!?" Voldemort screamed as the knight's shield shone like a beacon. It raised its sword high above its head and brought it down with a thunderous impact, sending out a massive shockwave that obliterated the Harry clone on impact. The knight turned to the Riddle baby and the snake. Riddle made to stand and exit the way he'd come in, but Harry moved forward, and suddenly he was blocking Riddle's exit. He reached down and picked up Nagini, who hissed at him, but he merely gripped the creature and pulled. The snake let a horrible hiss as Harry tore it in half, the pieces evaporating into smoke in his hands.

"This is impossible!" Riddle screamed. "I am Lord Voldemort! I have conquered death itself! Entire society's fear to speak my name! I can't be – !"

_THOOM!_

The small tyrant's rant was cut off, as was his head, by the knight, as it stabbed the Riddle baby through the neck, impaling its sword in the marble. Harry gave a nod of approval.

"Give him another stab, just to be sure," he said. The knight obliged, pulling its sword out of the marble and stabbing the now headless figure of Riddle in the chest, and the creature evaporated in a wisp of smoke. This left Harry and his knight standing alone in the strange "gateway", Riddle had called it.

"So…how do I get out of here?" he asked, looking at the knight, who shrugged, then looked up as a red shard of glass fell onto its head. Harry looked up as well, holding up his arm to block a much larger blue shard. The stained-glass window was cracking badly, more shards raining down on the two of them, until finally, with a shattering sound that echoed in the distance, the whole thing crumbled and rained on top of them, revealing a bright white light that grew brighter, brighter, blinding Harry….

……

Seen in the August 14 issue of the Daily Prophet:

_**Peace At Last!**_

_by Killian Smythe_

_It's been two months since the epic Battle of Hogwarts, which is sure to go down in the annals of history alongside the battle of Dumbledore vs. Grindelwald and the first defeat of Tom Riddle. In those two months, it seems the wizard world has finally moved past the dark few months following Riddle's return to power._

_No more details have arisen yet as to the circumstances of the Dark Lord's defeat, though the IDEA will confirm that specially trained units known as "snipers" were involved. Further research has revealed that snipers use muggle weapons known as guns to fire small lead bullets long distances. (For a full interview with former military sniper Josh Welks, see pg. 12)._

_As of yet, the fate of Harry Potter is unknown, though rumors and theories abound, many of them outlandish, some downright grim. _

"_In his case, no news is usually bad news," says classmate Blaise Zabini. "If he's not dead yet, he probably will be soon."_

_Another classmate, Cedric Diggory, is of a different opinion._

"_Harry's strong," he says. "They probably haven't told anyone anything because there's nothing to tell. Maybe he was in a long battle, and he's just sleeping it off."_

"_There's no way Harry could be beaten!" says Colin Creevey, a friend of Harry's. "He probably crushed You-Know-Who and is relaxing in Hawaii or something!"_

_Harry's close circle of friends was unavailable for comment, though Molly Weasley, mother of Harry's close friend, Ron Weasley, had this to say:_

"_It's none of your business, so nose out."_

_(continued on pg. 4)_

Seen in the August 15 issue of the Daily Prophet:

_**Mass Wizengamot Sentencing Leveled Today!**_

_**Eighteen Death Eaters Sentence to Life in Azkaban!**_

_by Aluc West_

_In a landmark case last night, eighteen Death Eaters were tried and convicted of a slew of charges (for a full listing, see pg. 14) and sentenced to life in Azkaban prison. The full list of Death Eaters:_

_-Alden Avery_

_-Amycus Carrow_

_-Alecto Carrow_

_-Vincent Crabbe Sr._

_-Antonin Dolohov_

_-Charles Gibbon_

_-Gregory Goyle Sr._

_-Ivan Jugson_

_-Walden Macnair_

_-Lucius Malfoy_

_-Louis Nott_

_-Philip Mulciber_

_-Peter Pettigrew (see full story, pg. 22)_

_-Augustus Rookwood_

_-Thorfinne Rowle_

_-Sylus Selwyn_

_-Ivan Travers_

_-Gil Yaxley_

_The Death Eaters will be held in the newly reformed Azkaban prison, now under control of the TanakaCo Security Company, which employs "robots" (see pg. 23. This article continued on pg. 6)_

Seen in the August 23 issue of the Daily Prophet.

_**Hogwarts to Reopen in September!**_

"_**Educational Reform" Cited as Key Goal by Headmistress Minerva McGonagall**_

_by Lois Leyne_

_It's been a tumultuous year for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; between the disastrous Triwizard Tournament, the arrest and subsequent death of Albus Dumbledore, and the assault by Tom Riddle, no one expected the school to open so soon, if ever again._

_However, despite people's expectations, Hogwarts will reopen as scheduled for the 1995-96 school year. New Headmistress Minerva McGonagall has stated that damage to the castle in the final assault was minimal._

"_We've been working as hard as we can to ensure that Hogwarts is ready for classes in September," McGonagall said. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be fully operational in time for term to begin."_

_Among the changes being made to the school is the addition of a new recreational center._

"_We've commissioned the finest construction workers from Japan to build a new recreational facility on the grounds," McGonagall said. "For far too long, the only place the students could relax was their own common rooms. To promote House unity, we've decided to give the students a place to mingle regardless of House association."  
_

_More changes are planned for the school and curriculum and will be outlined in a pamphlet sent along with this year's batch of Hogwarts letters._

"Isn't that great, Harry? I hear Leon's one of Professor McGonagall's top consultants in the reform project. Hogwarts will be better than ever this year."

Hermione set the newspaper down on the bedside table, reaching over to brush her boyfriend's bangs out of his face and smiling at him.

"And Colin thinks you're living it up in Hawaii," she giggled. "That'd be nice. Maybe we can actually go there someday. A nice beachside resort, golden sands, aqua-blue waters, and hula skirts and coconut bras," she added with another laugh.

She sighed, staring out at the bright sky.

"It's hasn't rained in a while," she said. "They've already banned hosepipes, and Channel Twelve's calling it the worst draught in the last twenty-five years. Dad's really disappointed because he hasn't been able to fill the pool yet this year. I keep telling him to just be glad he's back home. Dunlap was nice, but Mum was really starting to get homesick."

"Ginny finally went home today," she went on. "The doctors said to keep an eye on her, but she really seems to have gotten the hang of that arm of hers. She can even use the Bat-Bogey Hex again. The boys weren't too excited to find that out.

"Oh, and guess what? Sirius has a house! A big place in this dingy old street called Grimmauld Place. He wants to have it demolished, but Remus convinced him to clean it up. He says he might give it to Fred and George to use for their joke shop, at least until they can find premises in Diagon Alley. That would be nice, don't you think? I can't say I approve of their career choice, but it seems fitting.

"Ron and Valerie are together now," she rolled her eyes as she spoke. "I caught them snogging on her last visit to the Burrow. Apparently, Valerie asked _him_ out, if you can believe that. I guess Ron has a lot to learn about girls. Mrs. Weasley's ecstatic, of course. I think she already has a wedding dress picked out for Val. I will admit, though, Valerie Weasley does roll off the tongue quite easily.

"Leon and Emily are getting married. He proposed after the battle." She giggled. "She said 'About time' and grabbed the ring from him. I guess those two are meant for each other. She asked me to be the maid of honor. She said she doesn't know many girls that well, and I was one of her favorite students. Leon's friend Sean is going to be the best man. Leon says he's…saving you a spot as a groomsman."

Hermione sniffed, her eyes shining as she spoke. "I wish you'd wake up, Harry. The doctors say there's nothing physically wrong with you. And…I miss you. Every day I have to go without your voice and your laugh and that crooked smile of yours that makes my heart just start beating like it's going to burst from my chest. I can't stand it. I can't…bear the thought that you might never wake up. I…I love you, Harry. If you wake up, I promise I'll tell you again and again, every day. I love you so much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. They can say we're too young, but I don't care. I love you, Harry James Potter, and if you would just wake up and let me tell you in person, I'd be the happiest girl in the world."

Sniffing again, Hermione gripped Harry's shirt, burying her face in his chest and sobbing. She'd sworn that she would stay upbeat when she talked to Harry, but she couldn't contain it anymore, this anguish she felt at the prospect of a life without Harry.

She felt a hand run through her hair and stiffened. She hadn't heard anyone come in, and the only one who'd ever initiated such contact was….

"Harry…?"

"What's that thing they always do in fairytales? When the princess is lying in an enchanted sleep, the prince does something, but it's slipped my mind…."

Hermione looked in disbelief at Harry's face. His eyes were still shut, but his lips were quirked up in the slightest of smiles. She let noise between a gasp and a laugh.

"You're hardly princess material," she said, and Harry's smile grew slightly.

"Humor me."

Hermione's face broke into the biggest smile she could remember as she stood and leaned in, crushing Harry's lips with hers. She felt Harry's hand on her cheek and reached up to grasp it, holding it against her face as she pulled away. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she looked into those gorgeous green eyes, which were gazing up at her in adoration.

"Welcome back, Harry," she said. Harry smiled.

"Great to be back," he said. "Oh, and I believe you made me a promise?"

Hermione laughed, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I love you, Harry Potter."

"I love you, too, Hermione Granger."

Sadness? Hermione had never heard of such an emotion. No, sadness could not exist in a world where she loved Harry Potter and he returned these feelings in full force.

……

Anyone in King's Cross on the morning of September the first, 1995, would never be able to guess what had happened in the past year. The station was still crowded with the most unusual assortment of children with unusual pets and wearing unusual clothing, and no one was quite sure where these children went or what train they all took, if they were all even affiliated. Strangely enough, the conundrum never bothered anyone enough to worry about it once they left the station.

So no one would go on to dwell on the fact that a truly massive group of redheads and a few other assorted hair colors were making their way through the station, apparently in a bit of an argument over something.

"I just think it would be fun!" Sirius said. "I could go as Snuffles, and you could just introduce me as your pet dog!"

"Sirius, they don't allow dogs at Hogwarts," Harry countered. "An owl OR a cat OR a toad. Now, if you could somehow change into a cat, I bet I could manage something."

"It's impossible to have two separate animagus forms," Hermione said offhandedly. "The change is too complex for one person to be able to make multiple."

"You could probably convince McGonagall, though," Sirius said with a grin. "I mean, you defeated Tom Riddle! You should be allowed to bend the pet rules a little."

Harry looked at Hermione, who rolled her eyes. "Oh, I supposed the worst that can happen is you get sent home," she said Sirius, who pumped his fist in triumph.

"Yes!" he said, immediately reverting to his dog form and dashing for the barrier before security could spot an animal in the station. Hermione and Harry shook their heads, joining hands and pushing their trolleys after him.

Yes, it had been the craziest summer any of them had ever had, but with luck, the next year would prove to be decidedly more peaceful.

THE END

* * *

And just to help you come to terms with it, I'll even throw it in the author's note:

THE! END!

My, that was a long chapter. But, I like to think of it as a special two-hour finale episode, like they do with CSI and all that.

And now it's over. At least, this story is over. I'm sure other stuff is still going on. I'd like to thank all of my reviewers (all six hundred of them) for taking the time to show how much they appreciated this story (and in some cases, didn't appreciate it so much), and I'd especially like to thank Titanium Gold, for being an all-around cool guy and giving me some truly great advice in reviews, Scout-01 for the generally upbeat feedback (just so you know, the sniper that got Riddle was supposed to be a character named Scout Owens, but she got cut, sadly), and all of the other folks whose names I can't remember but generally helped me out with Brit-picking and military stuff.

And now I'll say goodbye for now, everyone. I'll probably end up going back through and doing some revising throughout the whole story, so come back in about a month, and you might notice a significant change.

Thank you all again!

--Lord Cargyle


End file.
